Families depend on women's wages more than ever, but the typical woman working full time, year round is paid less than the typical full-time, year-round male worker. These disparities exist in every state. However, as indicated in the map below, the size of the disparity varies by state. Additionally, women represent nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers — and full-time, year-round work at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour leaves a woman with two children thousands of dollars below the poverty line. Working to close the wage gap and increasing the minimum wage are key steps towards fair pay for women.
Read our fact sheets on the state-by-state wage gaps for African-American women, Hispanic women, and women overall:
- The Wage Gap By State for Women Overall
- The Wage Gap By State for African-American Women
- The Wage Gap By State for Hispanic Women
Click on a state below to see its wage gap for women overall, African American women, and Hispanic women, as well as the state's minimum wage.
Source Note:
"What a woman makes for every dollar a man makes" is the ratio of female and male annual median earnings for full-time, year-round workers. The "wage gap" is the additional money a woman would have to make for every dollar made by a man in order to have equal annual earnings. Overall figures calculated by NWLC are based on 2012 American Community Survey Data. Figures for African American women and Hispanic women calculated by NWLC are based on 2009-2011 American Community Survey Three-Year Estimates. State minimum wages from Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, "Minimum Wage Laws in the States – January 1, 2013". Minimum wages for tipped workers are often lower.