For the first time in five years, the gender gap in physician salaries has narrowed, a new Medscape report has found.
The most significant positive change was seen in primary care. At the same time, there is a growing concern among doctors about reduced insurance reimbursement and competition. The results came from Medscape’s 2023 physician compensation report that reached more than 10,000 U.S. physicians across 29 specialties.
Overall, physician salaries continued to climb in 2022. Though women in primary care earned 19% less than male physicians, at an average of $239,000, that’s compared to 25% less in 2018. Male primary care physicians earned an average of $286,000 in 2022.
The disparity also narrowed among specialties, at a 31% difference in 2022 compared to 36% in 2018. Female specialists earned an average of $327,000 in 2022, while male specialists earned an average of $415,000.
“While there is more work to be done, the progress on gender pay disparities was a positive development in this year’s report,” Leslie Kane, senior director of Medscape Business of Medicine, said in an announcement. “That said, the issue of physician burnout, fueled by long hours and bureaucratic burdens, continues to have an impact on how physicians view their careers, their satisfaction with pay and other aspects of medicine.”
More than a quarter of doctors said they would not choose medicine as a career again because of insurance reimbursement. Other cited factors included rules and regulations, long hours and frustrating patients.
Though more than half of respondents are satisfied with their salary, the report found a growing concern with reduced insurance reimbursement, specifically from Medicare and Medicaid, and competition from allied health professionals like nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
“At a time of growing physician shortages, it’s important for institutions and organizations to continue to examine industry norms and practices that can hinder physician satisfaction with their career choices,” Kane said in the statement.
The racial disparity gap did not improve, with Black physicians earning 13% less than white physicians, as in previous reports.
Like in previous years, the highest-paid specialties last year included plastic surgery ($619,000), orthopedics ($573,000), cardiology ($507,000) and urology ($506,000). Among the lowest-paid specialties were infectious disease, family medicine, pediatrics and public health and preventive medicine, all hovering around an average of $250,000 to $260,000.
States with the highest-earning physicians were Wisconsin, Indiana, Georgia, Connecticut and New Jersey. The lowest salaries were in Maryland, Colorado, Virginia, Massachusetts and Arizona.