Every Number Tells a Story. Choose Yours.
Our giving levels reflect real data from IWPR’s research—because evidence shapes not just our work, but how we invite you to support it.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2025
CONTACT:
Chandler Rollins, rollins@iwpr.org
Washington, DC – A new report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) finds that while more women are entering higher-paying fields, they remain underrepresented in top-paying opportunities—and the gender wage gap continues to widen.
IWPR’s analysis of 2024 data shows that women earned less than men in nearly every occupation, including all 20 of the most common jobs for both women and men—from 33 cents less per dollar as financial managers to 10 cents less as cashiers. The large gap in pay for financial managers highlights ongoing barriers to top assignments, promotions, and equal pay.
Women also remain underrepresented in lucrative male-dominated trades. In five of the largest occupations for men—including carpenters, electricians, and auto mechanics—there were too few women employed to report earnings. In mixed-gender fields like retail, women are more often concentrated in lower-paying segments, with limited access to higher-earning roles tied to commissions and bonuses.
“The stubborn gender and racial wage gaps within occupations point to the continued need for proactive enforcement of employment discrimination statutes by state and federal governments,” said Ariane Hegewisch, senior research fellow at IWPR. “It’s not that women lack qualifications or merit—they are simply less likely to be recruited or promoted to the highest-paying jobs, and even when they are, they’re often paid less.”
Key findings from the report include:
- Women Make Gains in Top Jobs But Are Still Paid Less
-
- In management and finance, women earn $1,523 weekly vs. $1,906 for men. Women’s share in these jobs rose post-pandemic from 18.2 percent to 21.6 percent of all women, driven by increases among Black, White, and Latina women. Yet, Black women in management occupations earned just 85.5 percent of Black men’s pay and just 68.6 percent of White men’s.
- Women Earn Less in 126 Out of 131 Occupations
-
- In 115 occupations, women earned at least 5 percent less than men. In the worst cases, such as financial sales agents, they made under 55 cents on the dollar. Only two occupations had women earning more than men: producers and directors (128 percent of men’s earnings) and career counselors (105.9 percent). Only three occupations had roughly equal pay.
- Women of Color Fill Lowest-Wage Work, Get Paid the Least
-
- One in four Latina women and more than one in five Black women worked in service occupations (i.e., personal care, food service), where they earned just 72.3 percent and 74.2 percent, respectively, of White men’s earnings.
- Gender Pay Gap Persists Across All Jobs Regardless of Race/Ethnicity
-
- A typical Latina was paid only 58.5 cents on the dollar paid to White men and 86.4 cents on the dollar paid to Latino men.
-
- A typical Black woman was paid only 64.8 cents on the dollar paid to White men and only 92 cents on the dollar paid to Black men.
-
- A typical White woman was paid only 80 cents on the dollar paid to White men.
-
- A typical Asian woman was paid only 95.4 cents on the dollar paid to White men and just 79.1 cents on the dollar paid to Asian men.
About Equal Pay Day
March 25, 2025, is Equal Pay Day, symbolizing the additional months a typical woman has to work to make as much as a typical man made in the last calendar year. The date was picked based on the median annual earnings (or typical earnings) for full-time year-round work in 2023; median annual earnings data for 2024 will be released in September 2025. The occupational earnings data in this fact sheet are for 2024 full-time weekly earnings of waged and salaried workers, a slightly different basis for measuring earnings.
About IWPR
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is a leading national think tank dedicated to advancing women’s economic security, workplace equity, and policy solutions that support gender and racial justice. Through rigorous research and strategic advocacy, IWPR works to inform public policy and drive meaningful change for women in the workforce. To schedule an interview with the authors or request additional information, please contact Chandler Rollins at rollins@iwpr.org.