Israeli Finance Ministry Report Reveals Wide Salary Gaps Among Doctors

Israel's Ministry of Finance has released its first comprehensive analysis of physician salaries, covering over 120,000 healthcare workers. The report highlights significant disparities based on specialization, location, and gender within the public healthcare system for 2023-2024. The average full-time salary in public hospitals was 22,560 shekels, and 23,326 shekels in health maintenance organizations (HMOs), though median salaries were lower at 18,804 and 16,971 shekels, respectively. While about 71% of hospital staff and 62% of HMO staff earn over 15,000 shekels, 3% and 8% respectively earn less than 9,000 shekels.

Specialization shows the most dramatic salary differences. In hospitals, geriatrics led with an average of 46,958 shekels, followed by otolaryngology with head and neck surgery (46,037 shekels) and obstetrics-gynecology (43,183 shekels). Pediatrics (31,813 shekels) and ophthalmology (31,903 shekels) were at the lower end. Within HMOs, obstetrics-gynecology was significantly higher at 78,603 shekels, followed by ophthalmology (75,244 shekels) and dermatology (69,654 shekels). Psychiatrists (42,663 shekels), geriatricians (42,775 shekels), and pediatricians (49,228 shekels) earned the least in HMOs.

The ministry noted that "outpatient" specialties like gynecology, ophthalmology, and dermatology often involve significant work outside standard hospital hours, boosting overall earnings. A notable gender pay gap exists: women, who constitute 65% of hospital staff, earn about 19% less than men. In HMOs, where women are 76% of staff, the gap widens to 40%. This disparity persists even within the same rank and is largely attributed to men holding more leadership positions, which grant more on-call duties and higher supplementary pay.

Physicians in peripheral areas like Safed, Tiberias, and Eilat earn more on average (17-43% more) than their counterparts in central Israel, but the ministry observed this difference does not significantly aid in attracting doctors to these regions. The report also indicates that 24% of specialist physicians in hospitals are nearing retirement age, with some subspecialties like clinical pharmacology, palliative medicine, pediatric surgery, and geriatrics having one-third to nearly half of their workforce in this age group. The data covers the public system and excludes earnings from private clinics or independent physicians contracting with HMOs.