According to a new optometric compensation study, published by Wolters Kluwer Health Inc., on behalf of the AAO, men earn at least 6.5% more than women in their first full-time jobs as optometrists. For first full-time salaries, the gender wage gap surpasses 13%.

How can optometrists (both employees and employers) use this research to narrow the gap?

“As an employed O.D., knowing what other people in your region or practice type are being paid helps you know if you’re being paid appropriately,” Rachel Simpson, O.D., one of the study’s authors, tells Optometric Management. “It helps employers know if they’re paying their employees fairly. Salary transparency allows both parties to set themselves up for success. This study may inspire someone to ask for a raise because now they have data on their side.”

In addition to the obvious financial consequences, the study also mentions that pay inequity affects an employee’s mental health, with underpaid employees reporting greater depression and workplace dissatisfaction.

Another major consequence for the industry as whole: “Mediocrity,” says Dr. Simpson. “It’s a missed opportunity, if we don’t close the wage gap. Why should optometry settle for being just like every other profession with a wage gap? We in the Optometry Compensation Study Group do this research because we love the profession of optometry and the optometric community…We believe that this profession can be better for all the women who chose to pursue it.”

Explore the data at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7664963/ . OM