By Julia Carpenter

The compensation models in some high-paying professions may be to blame. Pay that’s based on negotiation, client networks and company share payouts means hundreds of thousands of dollars could separate men and women in these top-paying fields, says Ariane Hegewisch, research director at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

“It’s much more so in professional jobs than say, if you work as a cashier,” Hegewisch says. “You typically do not have to negotiate your salary [in a low-paying job]. But in professional work, there is an element of negotiation.”

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