Gender Disparities in Compensation of Practicing Cardiothoracic Surgeons: Analyzing the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Compensation Survey

Cherie P Erkmen; Anastasiia K Tompkins; Shanda Blackmon; Larry R Kaiser; Susanna Gallani; Jennifer C Romano; Thomas MacGillivray; Michael J Mack

doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2025.05.038

Gender Disparities in Compensation of Practicing Cardiothoracic Surgeons: Analyzing the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Compensation Survey

Ann Thorac Surg. 2025 Jun 19:S0003-4975(25)00530-2. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2025.05.038. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Cherie P Erkmen¹, Anastasiia K Tompkins², Shanda Blackmon³, Larry R Kaiser⁴, Susanna Gallani⁵, Jennifer C Romano⁶, Thomas MacGillivray⁷, Michael J Mack⁸

Affiliations

¹ Center for Asian Health, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Electronic address: cherie.p.erkmen@tuhs.temple.edu.
² Center for Asian Health, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
³ David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Huston, TX.
⁴ Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
⁵ Accounting and Management Unit, Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Boston, MA.
⁶ Congenital Heart Center, C. S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan.
⁷ Department of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
⁸ Cardiovascular Service Line, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas, TX.

PMID: 40543696
DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2025.05.038

Abstract

Background: Gender-based pay disparity in compensation is widespread. In cardiothoracic surgery, women earn between 71-84% of men's salaries at comparable ranks. Limited data exist on how factors like subspecialty, practice type, and work efforts contribute to these disparities.

Methods: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) conducted the Compensation Survey in 2023 among practicing members with at least a 0.5 full-time equivalent role. Collected data included compensation sources, predominant subspeciality of cardiothoracic surgery, work relative value units (wRVUs) generated, and demographics. Comparisons on gender-based salary across subspecialties, years of experience, and wRVUs were included.

Results: Among 838 respondents, gender disparities were present in both base salary and total compensation across all subspecialties, with women earning 64-93% of men's salaries. Income disparity was greatest in cardiac surgery with 11-20 years of experience, where women earned 63-70% of men's compensation. Similarly, in thoracic surgery, women earned 59-72% of the compensation of men with 21-30 years of experience. Women with 11-20 years of experience earned less than both men and women colleagues with 6-10 years of experience. Women reported more compensation from teaching, while men reported more from call coverage.

Conclusions: Gender pay disparities exist among cardiothoracic surgeons, even when accounting for experience and productivity. Reasons for these disparities, including parenthood penalty, need to be further studied and corrections proposed.