Canadian women allergists earn about 22% less than male peers, study finds

Women physicians specializing in clinical immunology and allergy in Ontario earned significantly less than their male counterparts between 2018 and 2023, and the gap persisted even after accounting for demographics, practice characteristics and work patterns, according to a population-based longitudinal study published in Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology.

The research team, led by Samina Nazarali, Xinxin Tang and Samira Jeimy, analyzed administrative health data from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan obtained by the Ontario Medical Association. Their dataset covered 211 clinical immunology and allergy physicians practising in Ontario over the six-year study period.

The raw disparity was substantial. Mean annual gross clinical payments were $443,969 for male physicians compared with $279,835 for female physicians, a difference that was statistically significant at p < 0.001.

To move beyond raw averages, the researchers used multivariable linear mixed-effects models with physician random intercepts. The outcome was log-transformed, inflation-adjusted annual clinical income, and the models adjusted for physician demographics, practice characteristics and work patterns.

After adjustment, female physicians still earned significantly less than male physicians (β = −0.25; 95% CI −0.37 to −0.13; p < 0.001), corresponding to approximately 22% lower annual clinical income once demographic factors, practice characteristics and work patterns were taken into account.

The study’s framing notes that women make up more than half of clinical immunology and allergy physicians in Ontario, making the specialty well suited for examining income disparities. The authors describe the persistence of the gap after adjustment as pointing to systemic inequities.

The authors argue that addressing gender-based disparities is important to support physician retention, satisfaction and quality of care. The analysis was limited to clinical payments recorded in Ontario’s administrative health data from 2018 to 2023, so it reflects billings within that single provincial system rather than total compensation or income in other jurisdictions.

Because the study is observational, the adjusted models quantify an association between gender and income after controlling for measured factors; they do not by themselves identify the mechanisms driving the remaining gap. The authors emphasize that the findings highlight the need to address gender-based disparities in the specialty.

Subject of Research: The gender pay gap among clinical immunology and allergy physicians in Ontario, Canada

Article Title: Persistent gender pay gaps among Canadian allergists: a population based longitudinal study

Article References: Nazarali, S., Tang, X., Abdurrahman, Z., Plett, D., Kim, C., Mishra, S., Wong, T., Cook, V. E., Sibley, L. M., & Jeimy, S. (2026). Persistent gender pay gaps among Canadian allergists: a population based longitudinal study. Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-026-01080-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s13223-026-01080-8

Keywords: gender pay gap, allergists, clinical immunology, Ontario, physician income, OHIP billing data, longitudinal study, health workforce equity, women in medicine, practice characteristics, Persistent, gender