Dive Brief:
- Although female nurses outnumber male nurses more than 10 to 1, male nurses make more money, according to a recent study that was published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
- The study found that even after controlling for other demographics, male nurses earned nearly $7,700 more annually in outpatient settings and almost $3,900 more in hospitals.
- According to the report, the pay gap has not narrowed in the past 25 years.
Dive Insight:
Although there is nothing in the data to suggest why men earn more, Ulrike Muench, an assistant professor of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, and the study's lead author, says some people have suggested that men are better negotiators, and therefore tend to have higher starting salaries. But others believe it's more complicated than that. Jennifer Stewart, who oversees nursing and other workforce issues at The Advisory Board, says because men are newer to the profession, women tend to have more senior roles. Therefore, they're more likely to work day shifts, and night and weekend shifts often pay more.
Want to read more? You may enjoy this story on why women in healthcare get paid less.