Academic Ophthalmology and the Gender Gap in Salary
By Jean Shaw
Selected and reviewed by Neil M. Bressler, MD, and Deputy Editors
Journal Highlights
JAMA Ophthalmology, May 2022
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Emami-Naeini et al. evaluated disparities in compensation among U.S. ophthalmologists and compared compensation across specialties. They found that female academics were paid less than their male counterparts in ophthalmology—and that this trend was present across other specialties.
For this cross-sectional study, the researchers analyzed salaries of full-time academic physicians who practiced in 154 accredited U.S. medical schools, using the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Faculty Salary Report for fiscal year 2019-2020. Of the 84,980 faculty members assessed, 1,607 (39.8% female) were in ophthalmology, 16,142 (32.5% female) were in other surgical specialties, and 67,231 (42.8% female) were in nonsurgical specialties.
Across all faculty ranks, female ophthalmologists earned less in total compensation than their male colleagues, with the absolute difference in median compensation ranging from $6,000 for those at the instructor level to $112,000 for those serving as chief. Results of regression analysis showed that the absolute difference between male and female ophthalmologists’ median compensation was $50,000 (95% confidence interval, $4,600-$96,000). These trends were present across all specialties, with women earning a lower salary at all faculty levels. In addition, the researchers found that those specialties with a lower representation of women (including ophthalmology) had higher pay gaps.
The authors noted that they were unable to analyze trends in compensation over time or to adjust for other factors that may have affected salary (i.e., physician age, years in practice, or geographic location).
The original article can be found here.