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Work Activities and Compensation of Male and Female Cardiologists
Reshma Jagsi1, Cathie Biga2, Athena Poppas3
1Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Insights
Female cardiologists experience different work activities and lower pay than their male colleagues. Even after accounting for job characteristics, significant sex-based salary disparities persist in cardiology.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Specialties
- Health Economics
Background:
- Cardiology remains a male-dominated field, with limited understanding of women's professional experiences.
- Investigating disparities in working activities and compensation for women in cardiology is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the working activities and compensation of female cardiologists with their male counterparts.
- To determine if sex-based salary differences persist after controlling for work activities and other characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a national sample of 2,679 cardiologists (229 women, 2,450 men) using 2013 data.
- Utilized Peters-Belson technique and multivariate regression to assess sex-based compensation gaps.
- Data collected from 161 U.S. cardiology practices via practice administrators.
Main Results:
- Women were more concentrated in general/noninvasive cardiology (53.1%) versus interventional (11.4%), compared to men.
- Significant differences observed in full-time work proportion, workdays, and generated relative value units (RVUs) between sexes.
- Peters-Belson analysis indicated women's expected salary was $31,749 higher than observed, with multivariate analysis confirming sex as an independent factor in salary.
Conclusions:
- Significant disparities in job activities and salaries exist between male and female cardiologists in the U.S. national sample.
- Sex-based salary gaps in cardiology remain substantial even after adjusting for personal, job, and practice characteristics.
Background:
Much remains unknown about experiences, including working activities and pay, of women in cardiology, which is a predominantly male specialty.
Objectives:
The goal of this study was to describe the working activities and pay of female cardiologists compared with their male colleagues and to determine whether sex differences in compensation exist after accounting for differences in work activities and other characteristics.
Methods:
The personal, job, and practice characteristics of a national sample of practicing cardiologists were described according to sex. We applied the Peters-Belson technique and multivariate regression analysis to evaluate whether gender differences in compensation existed after accounting for differences in other measured characteristics. The study used 2013 data reported by practice administrators to MedAxiom, a subscription-based service provider to cardiology practices. Data regarding cardiologists from 161 U.S. practices were included, and the study sample included 2,679 subjects (229 women and 2,450 men).
Results:
Women were more likely to be specialized in general/noninvasive cardiology (53.1% vs. 28.2%), and a lower proportion (11.4% vs. 39.3%) reported an interventional subspecialty compared with men. Job characteristics that differed according to sex included the proportion working full-time (79.9% vs. 90.9%; p < 0.001), the mean number of half-days worked (387 vs. 406 days; p = 0.001), and mean work relative value units generated (7,404 vs. 9,497; p < 0.001) for women and men, respectively. Peters-Belson analysis revealed that based on measured job and productivity characteristics, the women in this sample would have been expected to have a mean salary that was $31,749 (95% confidence interval: $16,303 to $48,028) higher than that actually observed. Multivariate analysis confirmed the direction and magnitude of the independent association between sex and salary.
Conclusions:
Men and women practicing cardiology in this national sample had different job activities and salaries. Substantial sex-based salary differences existed even after adjusting for measures of personal, job, and practice characteristics.
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