Mothers’ earnings are crucial for their own and their families’ economic security. Mothers are more likely than ever to be in the labor market: almost three-quarters (74.0 percent) of mothers of children under 18 were employed or looking for work in 2023, a higher rate than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, whether they work full-time year-round or not, nationally and in every state, they earn substantially less than fathers.

This fact sheet explores national and state-by-state data on this earnings gap.