A new paper from the AAP Pediatrician Life and Career Experience Study (PLACES) highlights persistent disparities in pediatricians’ income, with female pediatricians continuing to report earning less than male pediatricians in similar positions.
Female pediatricians are more likely to work in part-time positions than male pediatricians and are more likely to practice primary care than subspecialty care.
With the comprehensive data PLACES provides, the authors were able to adjust for these and other pediatrician characteristics for which female and male pediatricians’ careers might differ. After adjusting for such factors, female pediatricians still reported an annual income about 93% of what male pediatricians reported in 2017 to 2022, an average difference of about $11,000 annually. The findings are reported in the article “Differences in Pediatricians’ Income by Sex Over Time” (Frintner MP, et al. Pediatrics. 2024;154:e2024066240, https://bit.ly/40oFIWH).
The study also examined reported annual income with no adjustments for pediatrician practice characteristics. In 2022, the average age of pediatricians in the study was 47 years and average earnings were $237,168. Female pediatricians reported earning $220,274 and males $284,286.
“This timely study provides valuable data to inform the profession’s discussion on the current state of gender equity and strategies needed going forward,” said AAP President-Elect Susan J. Kressly, M.D., FAAP. “Compared to previous generations and other specialties, pediatrics has made great strides in areas like workplace flexibility. However, even in a profession that is predominantly female and even when adjusting for a comprehensive set of factors where female and male career paths may differ, disparities remain.”
PLACES, launched in 2012, is an AAP cohort study that tracks the career and life choices and experiences of pediatricians across their careers. This study of pediatrician earnings included 1,251 pediatricians who graduated residency in 2009-’11 and 2002-’04 and practice primary, hospital or subspecialty care. The commitment among pediatricians participating in PLACES has been strong with nearly eight in 10 completing the annual survey each year.
Resources
- The Women’s Wellbeing through Equity and Leadership project
- For more information on PLACES, visit http://www.aap.org/places or contact Liz Gottschlich at [email protected] or 630-626-6627.
