Physicians in Bridgeport earn some of the highest average pay in the U.S., but female doctors there, while among some of the highest paid, earn 29 percent less than their male colleagues. That’s among the highest gender gaps in major metro areas, and only slightly better than the 22 percent and 25 percent gaps for female doctors in Hartford and New Haven, respectively, according to a new study released today.
The study is by San Francisco-based Doximity, a social network for physician and advanced practice clinicians based on more than 36,000 verified physician respondents who practice at least 40 hours a week.
Average annual salary for all physicians, specialists and primary care combined, in Bridgeport was $353,925, second highest among large metro areas. The average for primary care physicians in Bridgeport was $279,138, also No. 2.
New Haven ranked ninth-lowest for primary care physician pay, $232,260. Hartford fared better, 25th lowest at $244,418. For all physicians combined, Hartford’s average pay was $324,790, 17th-highest. New Haven, at $301,475, was 11th-lowest.
While female physicians, specialists and primary care docs combined in Bridgeport earned $267,139, eighth-highest in the U.S. by metro area, that was 29 percent less than the $378,000 average for men in Bridgeport. It tied with four other metro areas for the fifth-highest pay gap in the U.S. Female doctors in Hartford averaged $267,891, seventh-highest among metro areas, but 22 percent less than men, and they averaged $240,887 in New Haven, 13th-lowest and 25 percent less than men.
Female physicians on average earn 26.5 percent less, or in dollar terms, $91,284 less than their male counterparts, Doximity said, and no medical specialty was identified in the study in which women earn more than men. Also, there is no place in the United States where women outearn men.
The smallest gender wage gap is found in the Sacramento metro area, where, female physicians on average make 19 percent less of what male physicians do, the report said.
Overall, the highest paid specialty was neurosurgery, $620,000. The lowest paid was pediatric infectious disease, $186,000. The specialty with the largest pay gap between men and women was vascular surgery, 20 percent less for women, who averaged $365,000 versus $454,000 for men.
The report also found rural and lower-cost cities tended to have higher physician compensation than higher-cost areas, such as New York, San Francisco and Chicago. Location is also a key factor in pay for primary care doctors, which Doximity said represent the backbone of clinical care in the U.S.
“No matter what happens with healthcare reform, physicians will remain at the core of our health system,” said Chris Whaley, lead author and adjunct assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. “Policymakers and industry leaders must clearly understand how the marketplaces vary for men and women across the country and among medical specialties. Disparities in compensation directly affect the distribution of physicians around the country, which can impact patient care directly.”
