

Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Even in a high-paying field like medicine, the gender pay gap still depressingly persists. A study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine found that women doctors get paid less for the same work—but the reason why is pretty surprising.
The study focused on doctors who worked in hospitals, not in private practices. Hospital medicine is considered a relatively new field; most workers are under 41 and women make up one third of the workforce. Women make, on average, $14,581 less than their male peers in this field, and that's controlled for factors like age, specialty, and geography.
To figure out why, researchers used data from a survey of 776 hospital physicians, both male and female. The respondents answered questions about their income, characteristics of their jobs, and what makes them satisfied at work. On average, female doctors tended to be younger, worked fewer hours and more nights, were more likely to be pediatricians, and were less likely to be leaders at work. They also tended to report fewer "billable encounters" per shift, meaning they brought in less money, but may have focused their time on things like teaching instead.
But researchers say the biggest factor when it came to the pay gap was priorities on the job. Though both men and women said work-life balance was their top priority in terms of job satisfaction, men listed high pay as their second priority, while women ranked it fourth. The researchers say this might be because women are more likely to be in two-income households, or because they might negotiate less because they're more likely to be viewed negatively for asking for more money.
Even though women might not put money at the top of their list, it doesn't excuse the fact that they're getting paid less for equal work. "Women's tendency to prioritize substantial pay less than men may account for some of the gender pay inequities that exist in our society," lead author Dr. A. Charlotta Weaver said in a statement. "However, substantial pay is different from equal pay. I bet most women still want fair pay."
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.
-
Cody Rigsby Has the Most Relatable Fictional Crush
"I just think he could really like throw you around in the bedroom."
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
Paris Fashion Week’s Street Style Is Paying Due Respect to Beauty
Hair clips, nail art, and piercings round out fashion month’s circuit.
By Samantha Holender
-
Ava Phillippe Wears Ethereal White to Stella McCartney’s Paris Fashion Week Show
She added a clutch and snakeskin sandals to complete the look.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Confronting Unequal Pay: A 10-Step Guide for Women—and Their Allies—to Fight Wage Discrimination
Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is not a celebration. My hope is that if we all continue to ask for what we want, we chip away at that wage gap, one Black woman—and ally—at a time.
By Minda Harts
-
Peloton’s Selena Samuela on Turning Tragedy Into Strength
Before becoming a powerhouse cycling instructor, Selena Samuela was an immigrant trying to adjust to new environments and new versions of herself.
By Emily Tisch Sussman
-
This Mutual Fund Firm Is Helping to Create a More Sustainable Future
Amy Domini and her firm, Domini Impact Investments LLC, are inspiring a greater and greener world—one investor at a time.
By Sponsored
-
Power Players Build on Success
"The New Normal" left some brands stronger than ever. We asked then what lies ahead.
By Maria Ricapito
-
Don't Stress! You Can Get in Good Shape Money-wise
Yes, maybe you eat paleo and have mastered crow pose, but do you practice financial wellness?
By Sallie Krawcheck
-
The Book Club Revolution
Lots of women are voracious readers. Other women are capitalizing on that.
By Lily Herman
-
The Future of Women and Work
The pandemic has completely upended how we do our jobs. This is Marie Claire's guide to navigating your career in a COVID-19 world.
By Megan DiTrolio
-
Black-Owned Coworking Spaces Are Providing a Safe Haven for POC
For people of color, many of whom prefer to WFH, inclusive coworking spaces don't just offer a place to work—they cultivate community.
By Megan DiTrolio