The Gender Pay Gap in 2019
Fighting for equal pay has become a reality for a lot of working women. And, in 2019, the gender pay gap is still very much present. While the gap has shrunk in the past decade, the numbers are still shocking.
Glassdoor, a popular job search site, analyzed over 4000,000 positions in 2019 and found that the overall pay difference between men and women is 21.4%. That means women are earning an average of 79 cents for every dollar earned by men who are doing the same work with the same amount of experience.
To help you better understand which industries this pay gap is most present in, we’ve outlined the top 10 jobs with the largest and smallest gender pay gap below.
Jobs with the largest gender pay gap
There are several similarities between the jobs listed below. Many of the professions are in traditionally male-dominated industries that have had difficulty responding to shifting demographics. They also are typically higher-paying roles that have resisted efforts of wage transparency.
- Pilot: 26.6%
- Chef: 24.6%
- C-Suite executive: 24%
- Computer programmer: 11.6%
- Professor: 11%
Jobs with the smallest gender pay gap
Glassdoor’s report wasn’t all bad news. There are some positions where women outearn men. However, they are typically female-dominated industries where the pay is a lot lower than the positions listed above.
- Merchandiser: -7.8%
- Research assistant: -5.9%
- Social worker: -3%
- Military officer: -1.5%
- Environmental specialist: -0/8%
Gender pay gap by state
Just like how the gender wage gap varies by industry, it varies by state as well. According to Lydia Frank, vice president at Payscale, this has a lot to with each state’s economy, as well as any specific laws that discourage wage discrimination. To get a better understanding of what this means, below are the top 10 states with the largest and smallest gender pay gap.
Top 5 states with the largest gender pay gap
1. Louisiana — Pay gap: 31.1%
Ranking at number one for the highest pay gap, Lousiana has weak state laws around equal pay and a high percentage of minorities in the workforce.
2. Utah — Pay gap: 29.8%
There aren’t any studies on why Utah’s pay gap is so high, however, it could be in part to the state’s high fertility rate.
3. West Virginia — Pay gap: 29.1%
While West Virginia has some equal pay laws in place, women are still making 71% of what men make.
4. Wyoming — Pay gap: 29%
In Wyoming, women are making 71% of what men make. However, in 2010 women were making only 36.2% of wham men made.
5. North Dakota — Pay gap: 26.9%
Unlike Wyoming, North Dakota’s pay gap has changed much. In 2010, the gap was at 28.2%. That’s a less than 5% decrease in the last 5 years.
Top 5 states with the smallest gender pay gap
1. California — Pay gap: 12.1%
California has the smallest pay gap of all 50 states. This has a lot to do with the extensive equal pay laws they have in place. They also have a state advisory board on pay equity.
2. New York — Pay gap: 12.9%
New York has recently put a law in place that prohibits state agencies from asking potential employers about salary histories.
3. Florida — Pay Gap: 14.6%
In Florida, women are making 87 cents to every dollar earned by men.
4. Delaware — Pay gap: 14.9%
Delaware has come a long way. In 2010, they had a wage gap of 78.6%. They also just recently passed a law prohibiting employers from asking candidates about their job history.
5. Maryland — Pay gap: 15.4%
Maryland has come a long way as well. In 2010, their wage gap was at a staggering 81.4%.
Gender pay inequality is an unfortunate reality for many work environments. However, while we still have a long way to go, we have also come a long way. It’s encouraging to see some states and industries taking bigger strides to more equitable pay.
This is a guest post contributed by Sierra Skelly from Siege Media.
