Women in Surgery: Numbers, Pay, and Trends (2026)
Surgery is one of the most male-dominated corners of US medicine and one of the most uneven on pay. This page pulls together the latest AAMC, Medscape, and AMA data to show where things actually stand — and where they're moving.
By specialty
| Specialty | Women (%) |
|---|---|
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | 59% |
| Plastic Surgery | 21.1% |
| General Surgery | 25.6% |
| Colon & Rectal Surgery | 26% |
| Vascular Surgery | 16.8% |
| Cardiothoracic Surgery | 8.3% |
| Neurological Surgery | 10.9% |
| Orthopedic Surgery | 7.6% |
| Urology | 11.3% |
| Otolaryngology (ENT) | 21.5% |
Pay gap detail
After controlling for specialty, hours worked, years of experience, academic rank, and institution type, the unexplained pay gap among US surgeons is approximately 8–10%. The raw (unadjusted) gap is much larger — around 20–25% — driven largely by specialty sorting.
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Female surgeons earn on average $2 million less in career earnings than male surgeons after adjusting for hours, specialty, and experience.
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In a study of over 24 million Medicare claims, female surgeons were paid 8–17% less per procedure than male surgeons performing the same procedures at the same hospitals.
Trend
The share of women entering surgical residency has crossed 50% for the first time in the 2024 match — a meaningful inflection. But the existing stock of surgeons will remain majority-male for roughly 15–20 more years given career length.
| Year | Women entering (%) |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 24% |
| 2010 | 33% |
| 2020 | 44% |
| 2024 | 52% |
Patient outcomes
Multiple large studies now find that patients of female surgeons have slightly lower 30-day mortality, fewer complications, and fewer readmissions — a finding replicated in the US, Canada, and Sweden.
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Canadian cohort of 1.3M patients: those operated on by female surgeons had a 0.2 percentage-point lower 30-day mortality (p < .001).
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BMJ 2017 cohort of 104,630 patients in Ontario: female surgeons' patients had lower 30-day mortality and 30-day readmissions, matched on procedure and patient risk.
Wallis et al., BMJ (2017) · 2017
Sources
Frequently asked
What percentage of surgeons are women?
About 29.8% of practicing US surgeons are women as of the AAMC 2024 workforce report. This varies sharply by specialty: 59% in OB/GYN, 7.6% in orthopedics.
Is the surgical pay gap real or explained by specialty choice?
Both. The raw gap (~20–25%) is largely explained by specialty sorting. But even after controlling for specialty, hours, experience, and institution, female surgeons are paid 8–10% less.
Do patients of female surgeons have better outcomes?
Multiple large cohort studies — Canada (Wallis et al. 2017 BMJ, 2023 JAMA Surgery) and others — find slightly lower 30-day mortality and fewer readmissions for patients of female surgeons, matched on procedure.
What's the most male-dominated surgical specialty?
Orthopedic surgery — just 7.6% women, per AAMC 2023 data. Cardiothoracic (8.3%) and neurological surgery (10.9%) are next.
When will surgery reach parity?
The 2024 residency match passed 50% female for the first time. Given 15–20 year career length, the *practicing* surgeon pool will reach parity around 2040 if current entry rates hold.