Race and Gender Differences in Pediatricians’ Annual Incomes

ObjectiveTo determine the association between race, gender, and pediatricians’ annual incomes after controlling for work effort, provider characteristics, and practice characteristics.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 1172 actively practicing black and white male and female pediatricians who responded to the American Medical Association’s annual survey of physicians between 1992 and 2001. We used linear regression modeling to calculate annual incomes adjusted for work effort, provider characteristics, and practice characteristics.ResultsWhite men reported annual incomes of $183 430. After adjusting incomes for work effort, provider characteristics, and practice characteristics, black male pediatricians’ mean annual income was $175 640 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], $150 344–201 138). This was $7790 (4.2%) lower, but not statistically different from that of white men (P = .5). However, compared with white male pediatricians’ incomes, white female pediatricians’ incomes were $150 636 (95% CI, $140 975–$160 298), or $32 794 (18%) lower (P < .001); and black female pediatricians’ incomes were $133 018 (95% CI, $108 736–$157 300), or $50 412 (27%) lower (P < .001).ConclusionsDuring the 1990s, female gender was associated with lower annual incomes among pediatricians; differences were greatest for black women. These findings warrant further exploration to determine what factors might cause the gender-based income differences that we found.