Certain radiologists earn $75,000 (or 15%) less than peers in same role: Why the difference?

Certain radiologists are earning upward of $75,000 (or 15%) less than peers in the same role, according to new research published July 27 in Academic Radiology [1].

Numerous studies have explored the gender pay gay in imaging, with female specialists taking home far less than their male counterparts. Yale researcher Ajay Malhotra, MD, and colleagues aimed to take things a step further, exploring how “intersectionality”—or the interplay between race and gender—impacts members of the profession.

They found that all groups among interventional radiology faculty reported a lower median compensation when compared to white men of the same rank. Ditto for diagnostic radiology, except for Asian men. The gap was greatest for Asian female assistant professors in interventional radiology, who earn $75,000 (or 15%) less than their white male peers. Black female assistant professors face the greatest disparity in diagnostic imaging, earning $48,000 (or nearly 11%) less than white men.

“Fairness in salary compensation is integral to an overall approach to increasing diversity and creating inclusive environments,” Malhotra, with the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at Yale, and co-authors wrote Saturday. “This is especially critical for radiology where there is persistent under-representation of women and certain racial/ethnic groups, even relative to other nonprimary care specialties.”

Researchers gathered their information from the 2023 Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Salary Survey. Respondents included 683 IR specialists (138 women) and 2,431 in DR (862 women). Men had a higher median compensation than women across all ranks, in both interventional and diagnostic radiology (except for DR instructors). When comparing the two subspecialties, the gender pay gap was greater among interventional faculty versus DR experts, the authors noted.

The overall gender difference in median compensation at the assistant professor level was $23,00 (vs. $48,000 for black women). And at the associate professor level, it was $52,000 for black women (vs. $12,000 for all women compared to white men). In IR, women assistant professors earn about $33,000 less across all races—compared to $75,000 less for Asian women and $25,000 for black women.

Malhotra and colleagues cautioned that the number of black and Hispanic faculty in IR is small. Also, the AAMC survey did not report on other factors that might impact compensation, such as moonlighting and number of years at a given rank.

“Despite these limitations, the study results raise important concerns for impact of intersectionality on faculty compensation in radiology,” the authors advised.

In a corresponding editorial [2], experts noted that radiology still has lower salary inequity when compared to other specialties. However, they still believe the residual differential “warrants further investigation.”

“Compensation models are complex, and large, aggregate datasets often lack details and facets of compensation such as productivity, bonus, and call compensation,” Miriam A. Bredella, MD, MBA, and David Avrin, MD, PhD, with NYU and the University of California at San Francisco, respectively, wrote July 25. “Increasing awareness and transparency in compensation, especially in starting salaries, are crucial steps toward achieving parity,” the two added later. “The fight for gender equity in radiology, and indeed in all medical specialties, is far from over, but with continued research, transparency, and advocacy, we can move closer to a more equitable future.”