What is the gender wage gap?

The gender wage gap (GWG) is a measure of the difference in earnings between men and women, and the significant gap in those numbers that persists today.

No matter how the data is calculated, women consistently earn less than men, both across and within career fields.

Illustration of the Gender Wage Gap with three women standing on different piles of coins, each at different heights.

How much less do women earn than men in Washington?

In 2022, Washington had the 2nd largest gender wage gap in the nation.

Women in Washington made $18,400 less in average wages than men.

The gender wage gap is consistently larger for women of color, who face additional barriers including historic oppression, persisting inequitable systems, and discrimination.

Illustration of the Gender Wage Gap with two women and one man standing on different piles of coins, each at different heights. The man's coin pile is the tallest.

In 2022, women in Washington earned between 45 to 78 cents for every dollar made by a white, non-Hispanic man.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) by Sex by Work Experience in the Past 12 Months for the Population 16 Years and Over With Earnings in the Past 12 Months. Washington. American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Table B20017.

What’s driving the gender wage gap?

Woman looks at pole with arrows pointing in many different directions.

Persisting social norms and practices signal which career paths women do or do not belong in.

Woman surrounded by cloud of confusion with hands by her ears.

Workplace harassment and discrimination prevent women from entering and/or staying in certain fields.

Woman holds a magnifying glass pointed downwards.

Inequitable systems create an opportunity gap for historically marginalized communities, including women and especially women of color.

Woman with cape holds up two small children.

Family caregiving responsibilities largely fall on women’s shoulders, which can limit women’s options for paid work.

Woman runs towards the left up a staircase of books.

Women-dominated work, such as child-care or teaching, is devalued.

Our Approach to Closing the Gap:

The Campaign

Sources:
National Partnership for Women & Families. (2024, November 12). What’s the Wage Gap in the States?
The Wage Gap In Washington. https://nationalpartnership.org/report/wage-gap/.
DeWolf, M., US Census Bureau, & Center for Economic Studies. (2020). UNDERSTANDING THE GENDER WAGE GAP, EQUAL PAY IN THE UNITED STATES: SALARY HISTORY BANS. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WB/UnderstandingTheGenderWageGap.pdf.