Pay gaps across gender, race and ethnicity are still present in medicine, according to a July 8 report published by Medscape.
The report, titled “Comparing Your Pay Against Your Peers: Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2025,” surveyed 7,322 physicians across more than 29 specialties between Oct. 3, 2024, and Jan. 15, 2025.
Here are five stats on medicine’s persistent pay gaps:
1. Over the past three years, the gender pay gap among physicians has widened. The average pay gap between men and women for all physician types hit $96,000 in 2024, a $10,000 jump from three years prior.
2. For primary care physicians, men earned an average salary of $307,000 compared with $268,000 for women.
3. Among specialists, men earned an average of $447,000 compared with $339,000 for women.
4. Average compensation for white physicians grew faster than for other groups, expanding the existing pay gaps. Here’s a breakdown of average physician pay by racial and ethnic group:
- Caucasian/white: $378,000
- Asian American: $373,000
- Hispanic/Latino: $352,000
- African American/Black: $343,000
5. Average incentive bonuses (for eligible physicians) also showed gaps by ethnic and racial group. The average incentive bonus breakdown in 2024 was:
- Caucasian/White: $51,333
- Asian American: $44,375
- Hispanic/Latino: $39,192
- African American/Black: $36,192
