Gender and wage earnings differences among pharmacists

Using data from respondents throughout the U.S., this study explores differential effects on male and female pharmacists' reported wages of situation and opinion variables. Situation variables measure concrete and readily observable indicators such as number of hours worked, experience, practice site, and ethnicity. Opinion variables assess respondents' perceptions of their working conditions in terms of stress, job security, autonomy, scheduling flexibility, opportunities for advancement, and expected amount of work. Separate wage functions, containing the same determinants, are estimated for men and women, and annual earnings are projected for both genders under conditions of identical work effort, market endowments, and job perceptions. The empirical evidence suggests that when all variables in the model are taken into consideration, male and female pharmacists are able to convert situation and opinion determinants into approximately equal wage earnings outcomes.