Among married couples in the United States, women’s financial contributions have grown steadily over the last half century. Even when earnings are similar, husbands spend more time on paid work and leisure, while wives devote more time to caregiving and housework.
The difference between the earnings of men and women has barely closed in the United States in the past two decades. This gap persists even as women today are more likely than men to have graduated from college, suggesting other factors are at play such as parenthood and other family needs.
In 2019 women in the United States earned 82% of what men earned, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of median annual earnings of full-time, year-round workers. The gender wage gap varies by age and metropolitan area, and in most places, has narrowed since 2000. See how women’s wages compare with men’s in your metro area.
The gender wage gap narrows as women move into high-skill jobs and acquire more education. Women are now in the majority in jobs that draw most heavily on either social or fundamental skills.