Journal article
Gender Differences in Faculty Rank and Salary among Ophthalmology Subspecialists at U.S. Public Medical Schools
AJO International, Vol.2(4), 100173
12/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajoint.2025.100173
Abstract
Purpose
To examine gender differences in faculty rank and salary among ophthalmology subspecialists at U.S. medical schools.
Design
Retrospective cross-sectional
Methods
Gender and academic rank for faculty where state laws mandate public salary disclosure for university employees were collected from department websites. Annual salary was collected from GovSalaries.com. Differences in rank and salary, by gender, were analyzed using Student’s t-test.
Results
Salaries were available from 28/122 departments (23%) from 17 states (538 ophthalmologists, 41.1% women). A smaller proportion of women were full professors compared to men (25.8% vs. 46.7%). A larger proportion were assistant professors (47.1% vs. 30.1%) or associate professors (27.1% vs. 22.7%). Medical retina, neuro-ophthalmology, and comprehensive ophthalmology had the largest gender disparity among full professors between men and women (15.4% vs. 61.5%; 31.3% vs. 69.0%; 5.9% vs. 42.1% respectively).
Women had lower salaries compared to men across all subspecialties ($281,718 vs. $364,017, p<0.0001), including assistant professors ($229,389 vs. $265,974, p=0.03). There were no significant differences among associate ($280,704 vs. $324,434, p=0.15) or full professors ($378,264 vs. $447,531, p=0.08). Among assistant professors, women had lower salaries in comprehensive ophthalmology ($224,755 vs. $441,742 p<0.0001), cornea ($181,284 vs. $276,121, p=0.05), and medical retina ($204,057 vs. $393,616, p=0.03). Overall, women earned significantly less after controlling for subspecialty, VA status, rank, and region ($278,751 vs. $308,629, p=0.015), and was significantly less in comprehensive ophthalmology ($230,837 vs. $355,782, p=0.038) and cornea ($289,211 vs. $360,546, p=0.018).
Conclusions
Significant gender differences in rank and salary exist in several subspecialties. Further research is needed to identify effective strategies for these disparities.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Gender Differences in Faculty Rank and Salary among Ophthalmology Subspecialists at U.S. Public Medical Schools
- Creators
- Emily SunChen DunSusan K BurdenAmbar FaridiLaura K GreenAndrea L KosslerChristina R PrescottJamie B RosenbergErin M ShriverGrace SunChristina Y WengKimberly M WingesMaria A WoodwardFasika A Woreta
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- AJO International, Vol.2(4), 100173
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ajoint.2025.100173
- ISSN
- 2950-2535
- eISSN
- 2950-2535
- Number of pages
- 1
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 09/17/2025
- Date published
- 12/2025
- Academic Unit
- Otolaryngology; Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9984963647802771
Metrics
6 Record Views