Scalpel and salary: Gender pay disparities in academic medicine, 2013-2023

To characterize trends and specialty-specific variation in gender-based salary disparities.

Secondary analysis of Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Salary Reports from 2013 to 2023 using descriptive and nonparametric methods to assess gender distribution, leadership representation, and salary differences across specialties.

The 2013 cohort included 63,463 full-time faculty (34% women); the 2023 cohort included 88,646 faculty (43% women).

Pay gaps narrowed between 2013 and 2023 but persisted across specialties and ranks. Women's representation increased across specialties and leadership. Pay gaps varied by specialty, with larger disparities in surgical fields. Median pay gaps were significantly greater in surgical versus non-surgical specialties in 2013 (35.0% vs 21.0%; p = 0.020) and 2023 (32.0%vs 18.4%; p = 0.028). No association was identified between female workforce or leadership representation and pay gaps.

Gender pay inequities persist, particularly in surgical specialties, suggesting ongoing structural and specialty-specific drivers.