Maryland Academy of Family Physicians
Pay Equity Toolkit
Wide Pay Gaps Exist Between Male and Female Physicians in Maryland
Resources and Toolkits

Equal Pay for Equal Work

Statistics show that wide pay gaps exist between male and female physicians in Maryland,

Recent statistics show that wide pay gaps exist between male and female physicians in Maryland, with female physicians earning approximately 50% less on average than males. Female physicians in Maryland earn less than male physicians in the same specialty. Average annual income for female family medicine physicians, for example, is $164,000 compared to $234,000 for males, a difference of 48%.

Ironically, Maryland has an Equal Pay for Equal Work labor law.

The law prohibits an employer from discriminating between employees by:
  • paying a wage to employees of one sex or gender identity at a rate less than the rate paid to other employees under certain circumstances; or
  • providing less favorable employment opportunities as defined by the law, based on sex and gender identity.
MDAFP is very concerned with this problem,
and is offering you the following resources to better help you identify and address this problem in your workplace, and within our State:

Why do women docs earn less than men?

Icon

Part-time vs Full-time?

Medscape excluded part-time physician salaries in its yearly compensation report, and there was still a gender pay gap.

Icon

Lower-paying Specialties?

Medscape looked at salaries within specialties with sufficient female representation, and there was still a gender pay gap.

Icon

Employed vs Self-employed?

Medscape looked strictly at employed physicians, and there was  still a gender pay gap.

Icon

# of Hours Spent with Patients?

This factor could make a small difference for self-employed physicians, but does not seem to add any information to account for the gender pay gap.

Icon

Work-Life Balance vs Bigger Bucks?

This could be a factor if a woman favors a better quality of life and flexible work schedules.

Icon

Unfairness in Pay for Women?

It could just be discrimnation.

Icon

Age?

Medscape found that by comparing physicians against their own age group, there was still a gender pay gap.

Icon

Poor Negotiating Skills?

While aggressive negotiation may be a contributing factor, many physicians doubt that it's the chief factor.