Males Nurses Earn More than Females

As nurse practitioners both male and female we hold similar degrees and work hard throughout our careers.  Seeing multiple patients everyday and addressing the medical and personal issues of the general public is not easy.  Male and female NP’s hold the same job responsibilities so we should be paid equally, right?  Unfortunately, this is not the case.  Chances are, if you are a male nurse practitioner, you earn more than your female counterparts according to a new study released this week.

Male involvement in the nursing profession is increasing.  Today, 10 percent of all nurses are male, up from a paltry 3 percent in 1970 and 8 percent in 2000.  Researchers suspect this is partly a result of traditionally male jobs, such as construction, taking a hit during the economic recession.  Lucky for these guys, they have not only found jobs in the healthcare industry but are also earning more than female nurses.  The average salary for a female nurse in 2011 was $51,100.  The average salary for male nurses?  $60,700- a shocking 16 percent higher.

Researchers name a few reasons for unequal nursing salaries between the sexes.  Men are more likely to work full time than women accounting for some of the salary differential.  Still, when full-time nurses are compared, men earn 9 percent more than female counterparts.  Researchers also suspect men in nursing are more likely to receive promotions than females or may be more likely to get advanced nursing degrees.  Male nurses are more concentrated in advanced fields such as nurse anesthesia where salaries are highest.  Still, when compared to nurses of equal education and position, female nurses earned 7 percent less than men.

Although this news may seem disparaging, the wage gap is narrower between male and female nurses than in the economy as a whole.  When looking at pay inequality across all professions, women earn on average 77 cents to the dollar compared to men.

Why do you think men in nursing earn more than their female counterparts?  Do you experience gender inequality or have unequal pay in your workplace?