Abstract
Gender disparities in earnings remain a major concern in healthcare, especially in nursing, where issues of pay equity and career advancement often reflect broader social and institutional inequalities. This study explored gender-based earning patterns among nurses in Auchi Metropolis, Edo State, Nigeria, focusing on differences in salary progression and satisfaction with earning potential. A descriptive survey design was used, involving 51 registered nurses with 1–10 years of post-certification experience working in primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities. Data were collected using the Questionnaire on Gender-Based Earning Analysis of Nurses (QGEAN) and analyzed with SPSS version 25 using descriptive statistics and the Kruskal–Wallis test at a 0.05 significance level. Findings showed that most respondents were female (82.4%), mainly aged between 34 and 41 years. While both genders earned similar salaries at entry level, females dominated the mid-range income group (?6–9 million annually), whereas males were more visible in higher income brackets. Overall satisfaction with earnings was below average (mean <3), suggesting widespread dissatisfaction. Significant associations were found between satisfaction, years of experience, and job rank (K=5.00, p<0.001). The study highlights subtle gender differences in long-term income growth and calls for transparent, equitable, and gender-sensitive policies in nursing career progression.
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