Israeli Healthcare Workers See Rising Salaries, But Gaps Persist

Israel's Ministry of Finance has released its most comprehensive report to date on public healthcare system salaries, analyzing data from over 120,000 employees. The report reveals a system experiencing growth and investment but still grappling with significant disparities based on medical specialty, geographic location, and gender.

The average gross monthly salary for a position in hospitals stands at NIS 22,560, while in community health funds, it is slightly higher at NIS 23,326. Employees with consistent tenure have seen their salaries rise by an average of 42% over the past decade, with some roles experiencing a 60% jump. New nurses entering the field can expect a starting gross salary of approximately NIS 19,700.

A striking finding concerns the vast salary differences among physicians. The top 10% of earners in hospitals make around NIS 104,700 gross per month, compared to just NIS 17,300 for the bottom 10%, a sixfold difference. Specialization also leads to significant income gaps, with gynecologists earning an average of NIS 78,600, while psychiatrists earn about NIS 42,600, though the latter is expected to improve with new salary agreements.

Interestingly, the report indicates that working in peripheral areas can be more financially rewarding for specialist doctors, who earn approximately 33% more than their counterparts in central Israel, largely due to a higher volume of on-call duties. Conversely, the workload for residents is decreasing, with an average of 5 on-call shifts per month projected for 2025.

The report highlights two major challenges: gender pay gaps and an aging workforce. Women constitute the majority of healthcare personnel (65%-76%) but earn 19% to 40% less than men, primarily due to differences in overtime hours and job positions. Additionally, about a quarter of specialist physicians are nearing retirement age, a figure that reaches 36% in pediatric surgery.

Efi Malkin, the Salary Commissioner, stated that while the system receives about NIS 3 billion annually in salaries, resources need to be better allocated to areas like mental health and the periphery. He also emphasized the need to reduce workloads by integrating new roles, such as physician associates, to strengthen the system long-term.