In the United States, there are more male doctors than female. In 2023, the share of female doctors amounted to just **** percent, although this has increased by *** percent compared to 2021. However, there were large variations depending on the specialty. ************* were most likely to be women (among the major specialties**). Meanwhile, only ***** other specialties had more female than male physicians.

Introduction

Male and Female Doctors Statistics: Doctors play an essential role in the medical industry. Male and female doctors play critical roles in providing different healthcare services in medicine.

Historically, men have significantly dominated the medical profession. However, there has been a considerable growth in the number of female doctors over the years, as more women seek professions in medicine.

The distribution of male and female doctors across different specializations and geographic locations can vary significantly.

Key factors such as personal preferences, cultural norms, work-life balance considerations, etc., may influence the choices made by male and female doctors regarding their work environment as well as location.

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The number of male physicians outnumbers female physicians in the U.S. in most specialties. The only major exceptions are found in pediatrics, child and adolescent psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, although female physicians do slightly outnumber males in a few other specialties. As of 2021, there were around 68,400 male family medicine/general practice physicians compared to 50,000 women in this specialty. Physicians in the U.S. Both the number of doctors and rate of doctors in the U.S. have increased over the years. As of 2021, there were around 946,800 active doctors of medicine in the U.S. This was around 29.9 physicians per 10,000 civilian population. In 1995, this rate stood at 24.2 physicians per 10,000 population. Physicians by state The states with the highest overall number of active physicians are California, New York, Texas, and Florida. However, the states with the highest rate of physicians per 10,000 civilian population include Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maryland. The District of Columbia has the highest rate of physicians by a large margin, with around 74.6 physicians per 10,000 population. The state with the highest annual compensation for physicians is Oklahoma, where physicians earn an annual average of 337,000 dollars.

As of April 2025, around 39 percent of professionally active licensed physicians in the United States were women. This has increased by one percent compared to the previous year. Over half, 51 percent, of physicians in the District of Columbia were women, the highest share of female physicians in the country. On the other hand, Idaho had the lowest share of female physicians in the U.S. at 29 percent.

According to a 2023 survey, 62 percent of Ob/Gyns were female, the specialty with the highest share of female doctors in the U.S., followed by pediatrics. On the other hand, the medical specialties with the lowest share of female physicians were Orthopedics, Urology, and Cardiology.

The number of physicians across the United States reveals significant variations, with California leading the pack at nearly ******* active doctors as of April 2025. This concentration of medical professionals in populous states highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring adequate healthcare access nationwide. The stark contrast between California's physician count and Wyoming's mere ***** doctors underscores the need for targeted efforts to address healthcare workforce shortages in less populated areas. Primary care and specialist distribution California leads also in both primary care physicians and specialists, accounting for over ** percent of each category nationally. This concentration of medical expertise in California reflects broader trends, with New York and Texas following as the states with the highest numbers of active primary care physicians. The distribution of specialists also mirrors national patterns, with psychiatry, surgery, and anaesthesiology among the most common specialties. Physician burnout While the number of physicians continues to grow, physician burnout remains a significant issue. There are large variations in rates of burnout depending on a physician's gender and specialty. For example, burnout is disproportionally high among women, affecting ** percent of female physicians and ** percent of male physicians. Meanwhile, emergency medicine physicians reported the highest levels of burnout among specialists, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to support the individual needs of doctors depending on their different circumstances.

According to a survey of practicing physicians in various countries, female physicians generally had lower salaries than their male counterparts. The average male physician in the United States earned 386,000 U.S. dollars while female doctors were paid just 300,000 U.S. dollars. In terms of percentage, the pay gap was widest in Portugal, where male doctors earned over 60 percent more than female doctors.