The Gender Pay Gap in Nursing
Despite the majority of nursing professionals being women, men continue to earn higher salaries. This examination of the gender pay gap delves into these disparities and proposes ways to achieve income equality. The gender pay gap refers to the discrepancy in earnings between men and women. While women make up a significant portion of the nursing field, men tend to earn higher salaries overall.
Though the nursing pay gap has somewhat diminished in recent years, income disparities persist, particularly among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). This guide scrutinizes the pay gap within the registered nursing (RN) profession, offers strategies for nurses to advocate for better salaries, and suggests methods to promote pay equity in nursing.
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Key Points About the Nursing Gender Pay Gap
Men on average earn $7,300 more annually than women in RN roles.
The gender pay gap is more pronounced and closing at a slower pace for BIPOC women, who make up less than 17% of the RN workforce.
Women RNs earn 91 cents for every dollar that men earn.
Among the top 10 nursing specialties, pediatric nurses experience the most substantial pay gap.
Sources: 2020 Nurse Salary Research Report | The 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey
Long-Standing Wage Disparities in Nursing
The gender pay gap refers to the ratio of female-to-male annual earnings for full-time employees. Despite the enactment of the 1963 Equal Pay Act aimed at preventing wage discrimination based on gender, progress in narrowing the gender gap has been sluggish.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that in 2020, women earned only 82.3% of men’s annual earnings, compared to 57% in 1973.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women earn less than men in nearly every occupation. Educational attainment does not substantially bridge the gender gap.
Women with advanced degrees earn less than white males with only a bachelor’s degree.
Black and Latina women with bachelor’s degrees earn 65% of the earnings of their white male counterparts.
Women of color with advanced degrees fare slightly better, earning 70% of what white males with similar degrees do.
While registered nurses constitute a substantial and well-compensated sector of the workforce, the gender pay gap exposes significant salary disparities between female and male RNs. Despite women comprising over 87% of the RN workforce, they generally earn around $7,300 less annually than their male counterparts.
Comparing Salaries: Male vs. Female Nurses
Female nursing professionals persistently encounter wage discrepancies relative to their male counterparts, even when factors like:
Educational attainment
Age
Certification
Experience
are considered. The 2020 Nurse Salary Research Report surveyed 7,431 nursing professionals across all 50 states, encompassing RNs, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs).
While the average annual earnings for all participants were $75,290, male nurses earned a yearly salary of $80,000, whereas their female counterparts earned only $72,700. Female RNs earn 90 cents for each dollar that male RNs earn, resulting in an annual disparity of nearly $7,300.
This gap persists as women ascend to administrative positions. Female chief nursing officers earn $127,050, whereas their male counterparts in the same supervisory roles earn an average of $132,700. The pay gap has expanded even further among male and female APRNs, with male APRNs earning $16,000 more annually.
On the other hand, LPN/LVNs, who typically lack bachelor’s degrees, earn lower wages overall but exhibit no gender-based differences in pay rates.
| Position | Women | Men | Women’s Percentage of Men’s Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Practice Registered Nurse | $104,000 | $120,000 | 86.7% |
| Registered Nurse | $72,700 | $80,000 | 90.9% |
| Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse | $45,000 | $45,000 | 100% |
Source: 2020 Nurse Salary Research Report
Salary Differences for Men and Women RNs by Specialty
Annual Salary by Gender and Nursing Specialty
Despite the narrowing of the gender pay gap in many fields across the United States, female nurses still earn less than their male counterparts in equivalent roles.
Even when accounting for factors like age, education, and experience that might influence salary disparities, the gender pay gap remains. Recent studies also highlight notable differences in pay between men and women across various clinical specialties.
The specialties showing the most significant disparities include:
Home healthcare
Emergency/trauma
Pediatrics
Nurses can observe the smallest pay gap in:
Maternal-child health/obstetrics
Medical-surgical
Acute care/critical care
Psychiatric/mental health/substance abuse
As the provided data illustrates, men’s salaries outpace women’s salaries in almost all of the top 10 clinical specialties.
Annual Salary by Race in Nursing
Data from the 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey sheds light on race and gender within the profession. Approximately 81% of RNs identify as white. Asian RNs constitute 7.2% of the workforce, representing the largest non-white group, followed by Black/African American and Hispanic and Latino/a RNs.
Within the LPN/LVN category, white individuals make up more than 65% of the workforce, followed by Black/African Americans at 17.2%, and Hispanic and Latino/a nurses at 10%. Women make up the majority of nurses across all racial groups.
While the gender pay gap continues to impact nursing professionals, particularly those from BIPOC backgrounds, recent data underscores variations in earnings and working hours across different racial groups.
The following data compares median salaries and overtime among racial groups, utilizing information from the recent Nurse Salary Research Report. White RNs reported working fewer hours compared to their counterparts of other racial backgrounds. BIPOC nurses reported higher median salaries and longer working hours, potentially due to increased overtime rates.
Closing the Gender Pay Gap in Nursing
The gender pay gap remains a pressing issue, particularly for Black and Latina women in nursing, as their progress towards closing the gap has been slower compared to white and Asian women in relation to white males.
Over the past 30 years, the earnings ratio for Black women has increased only from 59% to 63%. At this rate, it would take approximately 350 years for the gender pay gap for Black women to disappear. Similarly, Latinas have experienced a rise from 53% to 55% in the same period, projecting that it will take about 432 years for the pay gap for Latinas to close.
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Strategies for Addressing the Gap
To combat the gender pay gap, especially in nursing, there are strategies that can be employed:
Negotiating Salary and Seeking Certification: Nurses, both RNs and LPNs/LVNs, who negotiate their salaries before accepting positions have a higher chance of earning better pay. However, women are generally less likely than men to negotiate their salaries. Pursuing advanced training and certification can help narrow the pay gap as well. While the pay gap reduces with certification, fewer women than men in nursing consider further education and certification as a means to increase earnings.
Advocacy and Mobilization: Nurses can join national nursing associations and unions, which advocate for policies that promote equal pay. Unions and associations can lobby for legislative changes, such as the Paycheck Fairness Act, which aims to eliminate gender-based discrimination. States with strong union representation tend to have higher nurse salaries. Open discussions about wages among colleagues can promote wage transparency and better understanding of pay scales.
Changing Workplace Culture and Policies: Efforts to close the gender pay gap should also address workplace culture and policies. This includes reforming employer practices related to childcare and caregiving responsibilities. Many women in nursing, as well as in the wider workforce, take on caregiving roles within their families. Reforms should include expanding paid sick days, offering comprehensive family and medical leave programs, and ensuring access to childcare.
Supporting Equal Pay: Nurses, employers, and legislators can collaborate to further reduce the gender pay gap. This can involve advocating for stronger equal pay laws, supporting childcare initiatives, and actively participating in professional associations and unions that promote policy changes. Wage transparency discussions within workplaces can help address gender and race-based pay inequities.
Closing the gender pay gap in nursing requires collective efforts, policy changes, and cultural shifts to ensure fair compensation for all nurses, regardless of gender or racial background.
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