Here's How Much Less Women Make Than Men By State, In One Map

Impact
ByVivian Giang

We all know that women get paid less than men on average, but at least some states are trying to close the pay gap faster than others.

If you're a woman living in Vermont, Washington, D.C., Maryland or Nevada, you're making at least 84 cents for every dollar that a man makes. On average, female workers today make 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. This is a 23% difference and the gap exists in almost every occupation listed.

To get a better idea of how states compare, we turned to financial literacy site NerdWallet to sort data from the 2012 American Community Survey by the U.S. Census. Intuit then created a map for visual comparison.

According to the U.S. Census, states with the biggest pay gap between women and men are West Virginia, Louisiana and Wyoming. All pay data is of full-time, year-round workers. See the map below:

Image Credit: Intuit

OK, so we know that women get paid less than men so what does this map prove? First, it visually compares each state to clearly outline the current pay gap situation. Second, it reminds us that there's still a problem. Sure, we applaud Vermont, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Nevada for trying to close the pay gap, but, at the end of the day, a gap still exists. Even female employees working in the White House today makes 88 cents of every dollar that men staffers make. This is not OK.

Image Credit: AEI

Some of it's workplace discrimination, but other factors are deep cultural roots that we also need to be aware of. For example, a study conducted by Babson College found that female business owners pay themselves less than male entrepreneurs pay themselves.

Women also tend to not negotiate as much as their male counterparts and even when they do, they expect less — assuming their employers (or investors) will be fair. 

The bottom line? Take the time to do your research when negotiating money. If you're an employer, also be aware of the today's discrimination between the sexes and aim to be a part of the change.