Study: Women primary care physicians earn less than men

Newly trained primary care physicians who are women are being paid significantly lower salaries than their male counterparts, according to a study published in the February issue of Health Affairs.

The authors based their conclusions on survey data from physicians exiting training programs in New York state, which is home to 1,073 residency programs, more programs and resident physicians than any other state, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The mean starting salary for family physicians was $139,504 for women and $147,874 for men. For general internal medicine, it was $142,526 for women and $154,900 for men. For geriatrics, the mean starting salary for women was $137,221, but it was $147,881 for men.

The number of physicians in the survey sample included 4,918 men and 3,315 women.