Today is Equal Pay Day, the number of days into the year that women have to work to get paid the same amount as men did the previous year. But Equal Pay Day is a bit misleading because there are different Equal Pay Days depending on a person’s race. Here are a few other fast facts to know about the gender pay gap. (All data is from a 2018 National Women’s Law Center report.)
Black women typically make 61 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic colleagues, Latinas make 53 cents, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women make 62 cents, Native women make 58 cents, Asian women make 85 cents compared to white, non-Hispanic male colleagues, and White women make 80 cents compared to white, non-Hispanic male colleagues.
The annual loss translates to $23,653 for Black women, $28,386 for Latinas, $24,443 for Native women, $9,010 for Asian women, and $10,169 for White women.
On average, mothers are only paid 71 cents for every dollar paid to fathers. Mothers of every race are typically paid less than White, non-Hispanic fathers.
The gender pay gap is smaller for younger women than older women, but it starts when women start working. Women ages 15 to 24 are typically paid 92 cents for every dollar their male coworkers are paid. The gender pay gap increases as a woman ages. Women ages 45 to 64 are typically paid only 76 cents for every dollar their male colleagues and women age 65 or older are paid 77 cents to every dollar dollar.
Based on the gender pay gap from 2018, a woman will typically lose $406,760 over a 40-year career. She will need to work almost ten years longer than her male coworkers to make up this gap and it reduces her ability to save for retirement. (Remember, this is the average amount, it’s not scaled based on race or age.)
There is a gender pay gap in 97 percent of occupations.
Low-wage workers also face a wage gap – based on the most recent data women in low-wage occupations typically make only 85% of what men working in low-wage occupations make.
Women face a gender pay gap regardless of their education level. In 2017, women in the United States with only high school diplomas were paid only 76 cents for every dollar paid to their male coworkers, on average. Women with a bachelor’s degree or higher, typically make 75 cents for every dollar men with bachelor’s or higher make. Women with bachelor’s degrees make less than men with associate’s degrees.
