These states have the BIGGEST gender pay gaps:
New Hampshire was found to have the biggest gender pay gap, with men earning $18,044 more than women
Utah ranks second and North Dakota ranks third with wage disparities of $17,528 and $14,082 respectively
Vermont ranks as the state with the smallest pay gap, at just $6,450
With the gender pay gap being a more prominent issue than ever before in today’s world, a new study has revealed which US states are the worst offenders for providing unequal wages between males and females, with New Hampshire topping the list.
The study, by QRFY, analyzed US census data, looking across every state at the average annual full-time work earnings for both males and females to determine which states are paying women less than men.
Interestingly, across all states, the average male annual wage for a full-time worker was seen to be $61,661.60, compared to the average yearly wage for a full-time working female of $50,314.66, meaning that nationally, men were found to be paid $11,346.84 more per year on average – that’s over a fifth (20.27%) more per year.
In first place is New Hampshire, where the annual wage gap was seen to be $18,044, by far the biggest gender pay disparity of any state. Full-time working males were seen to be paid $73,072 annually on average, compared to a full-time working female, earning just $55,028 annually on average. This massive disparity works out to males being paid a staggering 28.17% more than females.
Utah takes the second spot on the list, where the disparity in annual wages between genders was seen to be $17,528. A male working full-time was seen to earn an average of $65,278, while the same result for a female comes in at only $47,750 – a disparity of 31.02% and the largest throughout the nation in terms of percentage.
Third place goes to North Dakota, where the wage gap annually was shown to be $14,082. In North Dakota, the average annual wage for a male working full-time was found to be $61,786, compared to the average of that of a female also working full-time of only $47,704 – meaning that within the state, men were being paid over a quarter (25.72%) more than women.
With a gender pay disparity of $14,053, Virginia takes the fourth spot on the list. Women working full-time in Virginia were found to earn $56,498, compared to men, who were seen to earn $70,551 annually, on average. This $14,053 disparity in gender pay works out to men earning 22.12% more than women.
Louisiana is fifth on the list, seeing an annual wage gap of $14,018 between males and females. Seeing some of the lowest annual average wages in the nation for females at $41,923 – third behind Arkansas at $41,123 and Mississippi at $39,245 – men were found to earn 28.7% more annually, on average, earning $55,971.
The remainder of the top ten features Alabama in at sixth place, where men were seen to be earning $13,770 more than women annually, on average. Men were found to earn $55,721 annually, while women were found to earn $41,951 annually, a difference of 28.2%.
Washington ranks in at seventh, where the average annual wage gap was found to be $17,725. Men were found to be paid $75,587 annually, while women were found to be paid $61,862 annually, a difference of 19.97%.
Taking the eighth spot on the list is Colorado, seeing a gender wage gap of $13,696. Men were found to earn $70,519 annually, while women were found to be paid $56,823 annually, a difference of 21.51%.
Indiana comes in at ninth, where the wage gap between genders was found to be $13,621. Men were found to be paid $59,860 annually, while women were found to be paid $46,239 annually, a difference of 25.68%.
Rounding out the list in tenth place is Idaho, where men, on average, were paid $13,325 more annually. Men were found to be paid $56,040 annually, while women were found to be paid $41,715 annually, a difference of 26.99%.
Every state across America was found to have a gender wage gap, with men being paid more than women. Vermont ranked as the state with the smallest wage gap, with men earning $6,450 more than women. While it may seem like a low amount, considering the average salary of a full-time working male ($61,393) and a full-time working female ($54,933), it works out to an 11.09% pay disparity.
A spokesperson for QRFY commented on the findings, saying:
“The study's findings shine a light on the existence of major gender pay gaps throughout the United States and, hopefully, can be used as a catalyst to bring the issue to a wider audience, where the issue can continue to be addressed.”
“The study underscores the need for targeted strategies, such as salary transparency, and subsidising childcare, and discussions to address these discrepancies and promote greater wage equality nationwide.”
Data Source: US Census
Methodology: 2022 data from the US census covering average earnings for both males and females working full-time was gathered for every state. United States territories, as well as Washington, D.C. were omitted. The female earnings were then subtracted from the male earnings, with states ranked based on the pay difference.