It’s pretty simple: more women are graduating from college than men, so more young women are qualified for higher-paying entry-level jobs. Thus, in aggregate, millennial women are earning more than millennial men as they start their careers. Millennial Hispanic and black women make even more — as much as twice – as Hispanic and black men of the same age. That’s because the education gap is even wider between Hispanic and black young women and men than it is for whites. This doesn’t mean that women in particular professions, industries or job categories are making more than their male peers. It also doesn’t have anything to do with what individual women make compared to their male colleagues. And most of all, this doesn’t relate to married young women or the biggest earnings barrier of all: children. Does this contradict the recent findings of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research that female-dominated professions make less than male-dominated professions? Not in the least. In fact, the contrast highlights the challenge facing young women as they try to advance. As life gets more complicated, they will face trade-offs.”The real question is what will happen as they move through life stages,” says Chung.