Women in the States

Note: Earnings data are for full-time, year-round workers.  Data are for those aged 16 and older, except for data by education level, which are for those aged 25 years and older.  Linear projection of the year the wag gap will close is based on the current rate of progress in closing the gender wage gap since 1959, using the ratio of women’s to men’s earnings among full-time, year-round workers aged 16 and older. Racial groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanics may be of any race or two or more races. N/A=insufficient sample size.  Top and bottom earnings quartiles are calculated for all workers residing in each state. The shares of working women and men in the top and bottom quartiles of each state are then calculated. Part-time includes those who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week; part-time workers may work either part-year or full-year.  All public sector workers are included in government; other sectors are private sector only. Services includes health care, education, business and repair services, personal services, entertainment and recreation services, and professional and related services. This definition of STEM occupation follows the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics definition of STEM occupations, which includes the social sciences and managerial occupations in social science fieds, but excludes support occupations, health occupations, and most technical and trade occupations that do not require a four-year degree.

Source: Change in median annual earnings, 1999-2013, is IWPR analysis of 2000 Decennial Census (for calendar year 1999) and 2013 American Community Survey microdata (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Version 5.0). Year the wage gap is projected to close is IWPR calculations based on the 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 Decennial Censuses (for calendar years 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989, and 1999) and the 2001–2013 American Community Surveys (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Version 5.0). Data by race and ethnicity are IWPR analysis of three-year (2011–2013) averages of American Community Survey microdata  (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Version 5.0). All other data are IWPR analysis of 2013 American Community Survey microdata (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Version 5.0).