What you need to know
Women are paid less than men
When you look at full-time, year-round workers, women in the U.S. earn just 84 cents for every $1 earned by men. But that’s only part of the story. Among all workers—including the millions who worked part-time or for part of the year —the gender pay gap widens to 78 cents for all earners.
If you break it down by race and ethnicity, the pay gap is even wider for Black women, Native American women, and Latinas.
How it works
Women are better educated but undervalued
Women have been graduating from college at higher rates than men for decades. But diplomas don’t translate to dollars: the pay gap remains at higher education levels and actually increases for some women.
Women are asking for more-they’re just not getting it
Women are asking for promotions and negotiating for raises at the same rates as men—and we’ve seen this in our research since 2015.
Why it Matters
Women are losing out on millions
The pay gap is not about a single paycheck. Over the course of a career, the lost income can add up to over a million dollars.
Families are on the front line
Mothers are breadwinners in half of U.S. households—meaning their families depend on their paycheck. When moms are paid less, they have less money for basic family necessities like rent, groceries, and school supplies. Over time, this impacts families’ ability to invest in savings, higher education, or property.
Closing the gap benefits everyone
Closing the pay gap isn’t just a win for women-it has social and economic benefits too. If women were paid fairly, we could cut the poverty rate in half and inject over $500 billion into the U.S. economy.
