Gender-based salary differences among academic surgeons from 2014 to 2024 - 10/04/26
Abstract |
Background |
Gender-based salary differences persist in surgery. This study evaluated pay differences among U.S. academic surgeons over time across ranks.
Methods |
A retrospective analysis of AAMC Faculty Salary Survey data (2014–2024) was conducted across 14 surgical specialties. Salaries were compared by gender and rank. Primary outcomes included salary differences and female-to-male pay ratios; secondary outcomes included trends and variability.
Results |
At the assistant professor level, women earned 73% of male salaries (mean difference: $122,690); at associate professor, 71% ($158,048); and at professor, 74% ($152,550). Differences were largest in orthopedic and neurosurgery. Salary variability was consistently higher among males. Over the study period, modest gains were seen in pay equity at the assistant (annual improvement in pay ratio, β = 0.16%, P = .01) and associate (β = 0.41%, P = .01) professor levels but not among full professors (β = −0.01%, P = .89).
Conclusion |
Gender pay differences are narrowing but remain pervasive in academic surgery, particularly at senior ranks.
Level of evidence |
4
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Highlights |
• | Women earned 71–74 % of male salaries across all surgical academic ranks. |
• | Orthopedic and neurosurgery specialties had the largest gender pay gaps. |
• | Male surgeon salaries showed higher variability than females across ranks. |
• | Pay equity improved modestly at assistant and associate professor levels. |
• | No significant pay equity gains observed among full professors over 10 years. |
Keywords : Physician compensation, Surgical specialties, Academic medicine, Salary differences, Pay differences, Faculty salary, Academic rank, Academic surgery, AAMC faculty salary survey
Plan
| ☆ | Reprints may be requested from the corresponding author. |
| ☆☆ | The study is a secondary analysis of deidentified data and as such, constitutes non-human subjects research in accordance with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Institutional Review Board. |
| ☆☆☆ | Data is available from the AAMC Faculty Salary Surveys. |
Vol 256
Article 116826- juin 2026 Retour au numéro
Article précédent
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