The gender differences in highly paid wage: A case study of peruvian physicians

Amaya Chunga, Elard; Mougenot, Benoit · Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (2019) · DOI: 10.1590/0102-311x00043018

Resumen

In recent decades, the number of women pursuing careers in health has significantly increased. However, the physician labor market is still characterized by gender differences regarding payment. Using a nationally representative Peruvian sample of health providers (3,219 male and 1,063 female physi-cians), we estimated the gender gap in the likelihood of earning high wages for physicians and decomposed this gap in a proportion related to differences in individual characteristics (e.g. specialty, labor experience), and a residual proportion related to differences in returns to these characteristics. Our main results reveal that male physicians have on average an 81% higher likelihood of earning high salaries (monthly earning level > 5,000 PEN) relative to their female counterparts. Further, the main proportion of this gap is associated to the unexplained component (among 57% and 77%, according to the model specification), which may be associated to unobservable characteristics and discrimination in the Peruvian labor market.

Instituciones: Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola