Women physicians earn less than men in every medical specialty without exception, according to compensation data from Medscape and Doximity. The size of the gap varies by specialty, but its direction does not.
The overall picture, according to Medscape’s 2026 Physician Compensation Report:
- Male physicians averaged $429,000 in 2025, up from $400,000 in 2023
- Female physicians averaged $327,000, up from $309,000 in 2023
- Male specialists averaged $465,000 versus $347,000 for female specialists
- Male primary care physicians averaged $317,000 versus $277,000 for women
Specialties with the largest gender pay gaps, according to Doximity’s 2024 Physician Compensation Report:
- Pediatric nephrology: 16.5% gap. Men averaged $288,974; women averaged $241,239
- Allergy and immunology: 16.3% gap. Men averaged $331,631; women averaged $277,614
- Ophthalmology: 16.0% gap. Men averaged $497,572; women averaged $418,167
- Plastic surgery: 15.6% gap. Men averaged $644,397; women averaged $543,846
- Gastroenterology: 15.6% gap. Men averaged $554,378; women averaged $468,061
Specialties with the smallest gender pay gaps, according to Doximity:
- Neurosurgery: 11.3% gap. Men averaged $757,341; women averaged $671,554
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation: 11.4% gap. Men averaged $387,279; women averaged $343,044
- Infectious disease: 11.5% gap. Men averaged $333,055; women averaged $294,649
- Endocrinology: 11.8% gap. Men averaged $307,643; women averaged $271,205
- Oncology: 12.0% gap. Men averaged $520,839; women averaged $458,314
What the data shows
Pediatric nephrology had both the largest gender pay gap and the largest annual compensation growth of any specialty in the Doximity data, meaning its gap expanded alongside its overall gains. Oncology appeared among the smallest-gap specialties in both 2023 and 2024, suggesting relative consistency in its parity compared to other fields.
The gaps above are unadjusted figures and do not control for hours worked, subspecialty concentration, years of experience or employment setting. Researchers who have attempted to control for those variables consistently find that a significant portion of the gap persists even after adjustments. What the data establishes is that the gap exists at every level of compensation and in every specialty examined, and has not meaningfully closed over the two-year period shown in the Medscape data.
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