The salary gap is real: One doctor’s story

Discussions and debates about the gender salary gap have headlined news stories for the past several years.

But the struggle for pay parity has been ongoing for decades, in nearly every sector of the economy—certainly including medicine. “Equal pay for equal work” has been a rallying cry for at least 50 years. And yet some people still doubt that the gender pay gap is real.

I can tell you from my own experience that it is real—very real.

To the tune of $50,000

For my first full-time job as a cardiologist, I was offered $50,000 less than a male colleague. He was no more qualified than I (and, in fact, was less so in certain aspects) and he would be doing far less clinical work—and I was offered $50,000 less.

This was, in fact, almost exactly in line with the oft-quoted statistic from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that women earn an average of 82 cents for every dollar their male colleagues make.^[]

Here’s what making $50,000 less means over the long haul: at 5 years, a quarter of a million dollars less in base earnings (not counting bonuses, which are often a percentage of base pay—and thus automatically lower if you start with a lower base).

Half a million lost by 10 years. And a million dollars less, just in base pay, over 20 years of a long, hard, clinical career in a male-dominated specialty. A million dollars less than the less-qualified male colleague who is doing less work.

It also means less standing on which to negotiate pay raises, a lower percentage from which to begin, and a lower salary figure to present for my next job, when asked what I was making at my previous one.

Good advice

Fortunately for me, one of my male mentors with inside knowledge stepped in and advised me on what amount I should insist upon receiving to achieve parity.

He also, presciently, advised me to have a minimum annual raise written into my contract, not only to keep up with inflation but also with the value of my services as my clinical experience grew.

I was so lucky to have someone like this on my side. But I have always wondered about the outcomes for women in medicine who don’t.

Lessons learned

People expect you to negotiate. I did not know this right out of fellowship, but soon learned it. 

Some degree of increase in the salary or compensation amount with which you are initially presented is usually possible—and expected, so that expectation is built into the first offer.

So always ask. You only lose by not asking. If the compensation you want is not available, maybe they can get close, and make up the difference on other counts—more PTO, or a director-level title, or a dedicated assistant, or a more flexible schedule.

And by all means, talk to your male mentors and colleagues to get an idea of what the real salary ranges are for them. Thankfully, more states are requiring transparency in salary ranges by law, and you can research those to find out what you should be making, according to an article published by Business Insider.^[]

By insisting on getting paid for the value of your work and your experience, regardless of your gender or any other essential part of your identity (like race or ethnicity), you will be setting the stage for how you and all who come after you expect to be treated.

You will not only help yourself and those who depend on you. You will also help the women who come after you by raising the standards and expectations for gender parity.