Data show that male doctors earn more than females.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2009, the average annual salary for a family or general practice doctor was $168,550 and the average annual salary for an internal medicine doctor was $183,990. These salary figures encompass both male and female doctors, in all geographic areas and in all industries. However, a doctor's salary can vary by gender, in addition to these other factors.
Male Doctors
As of 2011, males who hold jobs as physicians, of any specialty, earn a median annual salary of $161,467. If a male is a family practice doctor, he earns a median annual salary of between $123,432 and $169,327; and if he is an internal medicine doctor, he earns a median annual salary of between $126,614 and $185,657. Males who are not actual doctors themselves, but who are physician's assistants earn a median salary of between $74,008 and $94,213 each year, PayScale reports.
Female Doctors
As of 2011, females who hold jobs as physicians, of any specialty, earn a median annual salary of $144,810. If a female is a family practice doctor, she earns a median annual salary of between $107,716 and $150,853; and if she is an internal medicine doctor, she earns a median annual salary of between $117,118 and $164,913. If she is not a doctor, but a physician's assistant, the female earns a median salary of between $69,457 and $85,506 each year, PayScale reports.
Salary Gap in the Medical FIeld
In 2008, a male doctor in his first year earned $35,300 more than a female doctor in her first year. This was an increase from the 1999 salary gap, which was $21,778 for first-year physicians, according to a study published in the February 2011 issue of "Health Affairs" that's cited by David W. Freeman on CBSNews.com. Anthony Lo Sasso, study author and a senior research scientist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says that the reason for the gap in salary may be due to the need for a more family-friendly and flexible work schedule for female doctors, including her potential inability to be on-call after certain hours.
American Medical Association on the Salary Gap
The American Medical Association (AMA) has conducted surveys and research into the earnings gap in the medical field. Since the 1970s, the proportion of female medical students has risen greatly. According to the AMA, although there are more equal numbers of male and female medical students today, their average salaries still are not equal, "even when studies are controlled for age, specialty and practice characteristics."
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