The Gender Pay Gap

Gender Pay Gap Data

• All women working full-time, year-round were paid 84 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal workers) were paid 78 cents for every dollar paid to men in 2025.
• Black women working full-time, year-round were paid 64 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal workers) were paid 64 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men in 2025.
• Latinas working full-time, year-round were paid 60 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal workers) were paid 53 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men in 2025.
• White women working full-time, year-round were paid 81 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal workers) were paid 73 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men in 2025.
• Asian women working full-time, year-round, were paid 99 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal workers) were paid 90 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men in 2025.

AAUW analysis using data from the U.S. Census Bureau: PINC-05. Work Experience-People 15 Years Old And Over, By Total Money Earnings, Age, Race, Hispanic Origin, Sex. (Current Population Survey—ASEC). (2026, September). U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/cps-pinc/pinc-05.html

Fighting for change

Unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet or quick fix. Though the status of women has dramatically improved in recent decades, the lingering inequity is the result of historical, societal and political legacies that persist today. Outdated norms about gender roles run deep in our culture: They affect the paths that girls and women pursue throughout their education; expectations about their roles as mothers and caregivers; laws, policies and legacies that favor men; and flat out discrimination, bias and misconduct that hinder women’s advancement. These all add up to an unacceptable reality that AAUW is fighting to change.

AAUW believes achieving pay equity requires a multi-pronged approach:   

• Equal Pay Laws: Rigorous enforcement and strengthening of the Equal Pay Act, reinstatement of pay data collection by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and advancing state pay equity laws will go a long way to ensuring women, particularly women of color, are paid equitably. Policymakers should require employers to provide equal pay for jobs of equivalent value to help reduce the impact of occupational segregation.
• Higher Education Support: Reducing barriers to obtaining a degree will make higher education more affordable, increase earning potential, and lower risk of unemployment for women. Policymakers should protect and expand Pell Grants and Work Study programs for lower-income students, support income-driven student loan repayment options, and allow for expanded public service loan forgiveness programs.
• Paid Leave: Implementing paid family and medical leave initiatives will mitigate challenges faced by women who are disproportionately responsible for caregiving. Women being able to take paid time off when pregnant and taking care of family members or self without sacrificing their earnings will prolong their workforce participation, increase mental health benefits, increase loyalty towards their employers, and protect their social security retirement benefits.
• Childcare Access: Making high-quality childcare more affordable will increase women’s workforce participation, allowing families more income that can be used for other needs and future savings.
• Reproductive Health: Improving access to reproductive care such as contraceptives and abortion care will allow women to have more autonomy by increasing their ability to pursue higher education, participate fully in the labor force, and choose when or if they want to have children.