The Gender Wage Gap in Cardiology? By Career’s End, it’s a Chasm.

It has become abundantly clear that on average, women in medicine are paid lower salaries than men. “Simply stating the difference in annual salary, however, fails to capture the true scope of the wage discrimination…,” writes University of Utah Health cardiologist Rashmee Shah, MD, in the latest issue of JAMA Cardiology. A $21,900 (7.3%) difference in starting pay snowballs into a $2.5 million gap over the span of a career, when factoring in return on investments and annual raises.

While striking, the $2.5 million figure likely underestimates the full scope of the impacts of gender-based inequities. For instance:

  • Women cardiologists are not less productive compared with their male colleagues implying they are paid less for the same work;
  • The lifetime earnings loss is likely an underestimate since women are less likely than men to rise in academic ranks;
  • Women receive less money for research start-up packages, potentially impacting their career trajectory and financial earnings over time.

Shah calls for women and men to balance the difference and make the workplace better for everyone. Not only is wage discrimination unlawful, but studies show that diverse groups, such as those that include women, have a higher collective intelligence and better performance.

“The 2.5 Million Wage Gap in Cardiology” was published online in JAMA Cardiology on May 30, 2018