Gender Wage Gap

Women persistently make less than men across nearly every category of race, age, experience, education, and occupation—whether they work full time, year-round, part time, or part year. The gender wage gap, defined as the ratio of median annual earnings between women and men, is a problem that is amplified for marginalized groups such as Black women; Latinas; Native American women; Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women; and LGBTQI+ women.

The causes of the gender wage gap are varied. Occupational segregation—where women are overrepresented in low-paying jobs and underrepresented in high-paying ones—a lack of salary transparency, and discrimination play a large role in causing the gap. In order to achieve equal pay for all women, it is crucial to understand the causes of these gaps and fight for good jobs that provide women workers equal opportunities and pathways for advancement. Without pay equity for women, the U.S. economy will not reach its full potential, and neither will more than half of the country’s population.