The gender pay gap is one of the most discussed economic issues in America. Here’s what the data actually shows, broken down by every measurable factor.
Table of Contents
The Gender Pay Gap: Overview
Measure
Women’s Earnings
Men’s Earnings
Gap
Median weekly earnings (full-time)
$1,005
$1,196
84¢ per $1
Median annual earnings (full-time)
$52,260
$62,192
84¢ per $1
Annual gap per woman
—
—
-$9,932/year
Career gap (40 years)
—
—
-$397,280
Controlled gap (same job/experience)
—
—
95-99¢ per $1
Gender Pay Gap by Age
Age Group
Women’s Median
Men’s Median
Women’s Cents per $1
16-24
$32,500
$34,000
96¢
25-34
$48,000
$52,000
92¢
35-44
$54,000
$65,000
83¢
45-54
$52,000
$68,000
76¢
55-64
$50,000
$64,000
78¢
65+
$42,000
$55,000
76¢
The gap is smallest for younger workers and widens significantly after age 35 — often coinciding with marriage and parenthood.
Gender Pay Gap by Race and Ethnicity
Group
Women’s Median
Cents per White Man’s $1
White men
$65,000
$1.00
Asian women
$58,000
89¢
White women
$53,000
82¢
Black women
$42,000
65¢
Native American women
$38,000
58¢
Hispanic/Latina women
$36,000
55¢
The intersection of gender and race creates the widest earnings disparities.
Gender Pay Gap by Education
Education Level
Women’s Median
Men’s Median
Gap
Less than high school
$26,000
$34,000
76¢
High school diploma
$34,000
$44,000
77¢
Some college
$38,000
$48,000
79¢
Bachelor’s degree
$55,000
$70,000
79¢
Master’s degree
$64,000
$84,000
76¢
Professional degree (MD, JD)
$88,000
$120,000
73¢
Doctoral degree
$78,000
$100,000
78¢
Counterintuitively, the gap is wider for highly educated workers, not narrower.
Gender Pay Gap by Industry
Industry
Women’s Cents per $1
Construction
95¢
Transportation/warehousing
93¢
Education
91¢
Retail trade
89¢
Government
88¢
Manufacturing
85¢
Information/tech
83¢
Professional services
80¢
Healthcare
79¢
Finance and insurance
72¢
Finance and healthcare show the widest industry-level gaps, despite healthcare being majority female.
Gender Pay Gap by State
State
Women’s Cents per $1
Annual Gap
Vermont
91¢
-$5,400
California
89¢
-$7,200
New York
88¢
-$8,500
Florida
88¢
-$7,000
Maryland
87¢
-$9,500
National Average
84¢
-$9,932
Virginia
83¢
-$11,200
Texas
82¢
-$10,800
Michigan
81¢
-$10,200
Louisiana
77¢
-$13,400
Utah
73¢
-$17,500
Wyoming
72¢
-$16,800
What Drives the Gender Pay Gap?
Explained Factors (~60-70% of the Gap)
Factor
Contribution
Explanation
Occupational segregation
~25-30%
Women concentrated in lower-paying fields
Industry differences
~10-15%
More women in education, healthcare; fewer in tech, finance
Hours worked
~10%
Women work fewer hours on average (often due to caregiving)
Experience gaps
~5-10%
Career interruptions for children reduce tenure
Education field of study
~5%
Women underrepresented in highest-paying STEM fields
Unexplained Factors (~30-40% of the Gap)
Factor
Estimated Role
Discrimination (conscious and unconscious)
Difficult to measure directly
Negotiation differences
Women negotiate less often and are penalized when they do
Motherhood penalty
Mothers earn less; fathers earn more (the “daddy bonus”)
Workplace flexibility preferences
Willingness to take lower pay for flexibility
Networking and sponsorship
Men have more access to informal networks
The Motherhood Penalty
Parenting Status
Women’s Earnings (vs. Childless Women)
Men’s Earnings (vs. Childless Men)
No children
Baseline
Baseline
1 child
-4%
+6%
2 children
-8%
+9%
3+ children
-12%
+10%
Mothers earn ~12% less while fathers earn ~10% more — a combined 22-point gap between parents of different genders.
The Lifetime Financial Impact
Metric
Women
Men
Difference
Career earnings (40 years)
$2.09M
$2.49M
-$397,280
Social Security benefit (avg.)
$1,340/mo
$1,720/mo
-$380/mo
Retirement savings (median at 65)
$92,000
$144,000
-$52,000
Poverty rate, 65+
12.1%
8.6%
+3.5 points
The earnings gap compounds into a retirement gap, a Social Security gap, and ultimately a poverty gap for older women.
