Survey: Gender, Specialty Spur Widening Physician Pay Gaps
By John Commins
Overall physician compensation grew by 3.7% in the past year, but varied greatly based on gender and clinical specialty, a new report shows.
The 2025 Physician Compensation Report from physician networking platform Doximity shows that average compensation in 2024 rose 5.7% for men and 1.7% for women, while the overall gender pay gap returned to 26%, up from 23% in 2023 and matching the gap reported in 2022.
Further, Doximity found that women physicians earned less than men in all specialties studied, even after accounting for specialty, location, and years of experience.
Pediatric subspecialists earned much less than their adult-medicine colleagues despite comparable training and clinical demands. The largest pay gaps were seen in hematology and oncology, with a 93% pay gap.
“This year’s study reflects a profession that’s been under strain for years,” Amit Phull, MD, chief clinical experience officer at Doximity, said in a media release.
“Pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists, in particular, are facing acute challenges,” Phull said. “They’re caring for some of the most vulnerable and complex patients in medicine, yet persistently lower pay and reimbursement threaten both workforce stability and patient access to care.”
The compensation data was drawn from approximately 230,000 survey responses over six years, including more than 37,000 U.S. physician responses in 2024. The study also incorporates thousands of physician responses to additional surveys and polls fielded throughout 2024 and 2025.
- PCPs earned much less than their specialist colleagues. In 2024, surgical specialists earned 87% more than primary care physicians, down from 100% in 2022.
- More than 90% of 1,200 pediatricians say reimbursements are interfering with early intervention and prevention in pediatric care.
- Half of pediatricians reported that reimbursements limit their ability to provide care for their pediatric patients; another 37% are worried it could limit care in the future.
- The majority (87%) do not believe reimbursement levels adequately align with the needs and complexity of today’s pediatric population.
- Amongst about 1,100 various specialists surveyed in June, nearly 60% said reimbursement pressures will affect care for Medicare / Medicaid patients in the next 12 months.
- 17% said they had already reduced the number of Medicare / Medicaid patients they’d seen in the year; another 13% said they likely would.
- 81% agreed that low reimbursements have played a big role in the decline of independent practices. Just 7% of physicians disagreed.
- In a separate poll of more than 2,000 physicians in May and June, 85% complained of being overworked, with more than two-thirds looking for an employment change or considering early retirement.
- 77% reported they would be willing to accept, or have already accepted, lower compensation for greater autonomy or work-life balance, up from 75% in 2024 and 71% in 2023.