O3272: Pay Discrepancies in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery

Background: Disparities in pay across gender have been a subject of significant discussion in the medical field, particularly among surgical specialties. In pediatric orthopaedics, aims to decrease any differences in income by gender can significantly improve equity, diversity, and the general well-being of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons. In this survey investigation of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North American (POSNA) membership, we aim to identify and quantify potential contributors to salary discrepancies between male and female surgeons to ultimately improve institutional policies.

Methods: An anonymous survey of the POSNA membership in 2023-2024 assessed provider demographics, sub-specialty, practice type, geographic region, payment structure, income source, and salary in pediatric orthopaedics. Only currently practicing pediatric orthopaedic surgeons in the United States and its territories were included. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were performed, and a MANOVA accounting for variables significantly different across gender was performed.

Results: In total, 145 survey responses met inclusion criteria and were utilized in the analysis. The majority of respondents were male (59.0%), aged 46.3 ± 9.9 years, White/Caucasian (88.7%), non-Hispanic (97.9%), and married (91.7%). Male surgeons reported substantially higher incomes than their female colleagues ($671,554 versus $517,699, p = 0.001). Weekly hours, race, practice type, percentage of practice related to trauma or fractures, education, and percentage of income from ancillary sources were not found to be significantly different between male and female respondents. When observing differences between genders, men were paid significantly higher, even after controlling for years of experience, weekly hours, practice type, region of practice, annual procedures, and differing percentages of ancillary income beyond clinical sources (Table 1).

Conclusion: There is a significant disparity in income between male and female pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, with men making, on average, $153,855 more than their female colleagues. Even when accounting for variables such as experience, hours, practice type, region, annual caseload, and ancillary sources of income, there are still significant differences in surgeon pay by gender. Future policies in the field should aim to reduce potential biases to provide more equitable salaries for providers, regardless of gender.