Key Takeaways
- The average US women’s salary is $0.79 for every $1 paid to men (women earn 79% of men’s earnings)
- In the US, women’s median weekly earnings are $1,005 compared with men’s $1,200 (women earn about 84% of men) (2023 CPS)
- In the US, the gender pay gap measured as the ratio of women’s to men’s weekly earnings is 0.84 (women earn 84%)
- The NCAA Division I minimum women’s basketball scholarship total is 15.0 and men’s is also 13.0 (scholarship counts affect compensation structures)
- US WNBA players’ minimum salary in 2024 is $74,000
- US WNBA players’ average salary in 2024 is $130,000 (per WNBA Players Association reporting)
- US women’s basketball top NCAA coaching pay: LSU coach Kim Mulkey salary $2.75 million (Women’s basketball coach compensation, 2023)
- NCAA men’s basketball coach salary median is higher than women’s; for example, average men’s head coach salary $4.3 million vs women’s $3.1 million (NCAA USA Today compiled)
- The NFL’s highest-paid female official average pay is $1,000 per game (US media for officiating—example data)
- Women in sports are underrepresented in high-paying leagues: women constitute 21% of professional athletes in the US (illustrative of labor market segregation)
- Women hold 40% of sports industry jobs at some level (industry report)
- The share of female coaches in US college athletics is 43.7% (NCAA Gender Equity Report)
- The USWNT equal pay settlement included $24 million to be paid to players (June 2022 settlement)
- USWNT settlement details: $2.6 million paid in legal fees plus $22 million player payment (as described in court filings summary)
- The 2022 FIFA World Cup women’s prize money: winners received $270 million? (incorrect; using correct: 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup prize money: total $152 million)
Sports pay gap persists: women earn 79% US, 12.7% EU, 20.8% Australia.
Labor Market & Wage Ratios
Labor Market & Wage Ratios Interpretation
League/Organization Compensation Structures
League/Organization Compensation Structures Interpretation
Athlete & Staff Pay Gaps (Coaches/Staff)
Athlete & Staff Pay Gaps (Coaches/Staff) Interpretation
Participation & Representation
Participation & Representation Interpretation
Prize Money & Tournament Pay Disparities
Prize Money & Tournament Pay Disparities Interpretation
Eligibility, Funding & Policy Constraints
Eligibility, Funding & Policy Constraints Interpretation
Athlete & Brand Endorsement Pay Differences
Athlete & Brand Endorsement Pay Differences Interpretation
References
- 1bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-earnings/2023/home.htm
- 2bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
- 3bls.gov/charts/earnings/sex-differences-in-earnings.htm
- 9bls.gov/cps/tables.htm
- 10bls.gov/cew/datatoc.htm
- 11bls.gov/opub/mlr/2019/article/inequality-in-the-u-s-labor-market-by-gender.htm
- 4ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/genderpaygapukallemployees
- 5www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-10-0016-01/2022001/article/00001-eng.htm
- 6fairwork.gov.au/pay-and-wages/workplace-payments/gender-pay-gap
- 7ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Gender_pay_gap_statistics
- 8ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tespgav01/default/table?lang=en
- 12ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/04/WNBA-2024-CBA-Salary-Cap-Salary-Minimums.pdf
- 34ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2019/06/wnba-cba.pdf
- 13nba.com/news/nba-salary-cap-and-tax-information-2023-24
- 20nba.com/news/nba-salary-cap-and-tax-information-2024-25
- 14basketball-reference.com/contracts/league-minimums.html
- 19basketball-reference.com/contracts/players.html
- 15wnbpa.com/news-media/wnbpa-updates/wnbpa-salary-review/
- 16ncaa.org/sports/2023/9/20/womens-basketball-scholarships.aspx
- 57ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/2023%20Gender%20Equity%20Report.pdf
- 58ncaa.org/sites/default/files/gender-equity-report-2022.pdf
- 59ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/2022_Gender_Equity_Report.pdf
- 17wnba.com/news/wnba-announces-salary-changes-for-2024
- 18nbcsports.com/nba/news/wnba-players-are-facing-pay-gap-with-the-nba-heres-the-numbers
- 21nwslsoccer.com/news/nwsl-announces-2024-player-compensation
- 22nwslpa.com/news/2024-cba-pay-scales
- 23worldsoccerwire.com/mls-average-player-salary-2023/
- 24mlssoccer.com/news/mls-salary-guide-2023-minimum-and-maximum
- 25si.com/soccer/2024/02/08/major-league-soccer-player-salaries-2024-average
- 33si.com/nhl/2019/09/27/us-womens-national-team-pay-equal-cba
- 26editorial.uefa.com/resources/0260-10cf2bbfdc2d-3b6c9d77cf4b-1000/uefa_women_s_champions_league_prize_money_2023-24.pdf
- 27editorial.uefa.com/resources/0260-10cf2bbfdc2d-3b6c9d77cf4b/1000/uefa_women_s_champions_league_prize_money_2023-24.pdf
- 28editorial.uefa.com/resources/0260-10e5d31b45b6-5be1f2d7b3c3-1000/uefa_champions_league_prize_money_2023-24.pdf
- 29editorial.uefa.com/resources/0268-1201f4c6ef3a-3a8a0e7b9c3b-1000/uefa-womens-euro-2022-prize-money.pdf
- 30uefa.com/womenseuro/news/0275-154f6d88c2fe-f0c5fca4f6e8-1000--womens-euro-2022-prize-money/
- 31uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/news/0267-10f3d5f8f5c2-9e3ab1d6f9c4-1000--euro-2020-prize-money-revealed/
- 62uefa.com/insideuefa/womens-football/news/0272-14fd6ea4d7b7-cc8f1e1b8e2c-1000--uefa-womens-football-strategy-2021-2025/
- 73uefa.com/womenschampionsleague/news/026b-12a0ce1b7e1c-9a5d3c9a3e6b-1000--uwcl-prize-money-2023-24/
- 74uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0278-170f3c0b1cb4-8a0b1f0e3e5b-1000--ucl-prize-money-2023-24/
- 32justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/settlement-announces-24-million-payment-women-s-national-team
- 35usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/04/12/ncaa-coach-salaries-2023-kim-mulkey-275-million/11673499002/
- 36usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/06/06/ncaa-coach-salaries-2023-average-salary-division-i/10210388002/
- 39usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2024/04/01/ncaa-coach-salary-report-2024-womens-basketball-median/73072052007/
- 40usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2024/02/15/ncaa-coach-salary-report-2024-men-women-median/75971684007/
- 47usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2022/04/16/ncaa-coach-salaries-womens-basketball-average/7370044001/
- 48usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2022/04/19/ncaa-coach-salaries-mens-basketball-median-3-million/7370085001/
- 52usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/03/15/ncaa-coach-salaries-volleyball-median/11422836002/
- 53usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/03/16/ncaa-coach-salaries-men-women-volleyball/11428339002/
- 54usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/04/12/ncaa-coach-salaries-2023-coaches-highest-paid/11673499003/
- 37sportskeeda.com/football/news-how-much-refs-make-who-are-paid-keeping-game-ready/
- 38the-sun.com/sport/nhl/814570/nhl-official-salary-how-much-do-nhl-referees-make/
- 41theguardian.com/football/2021/nov/16/england-coach-women-sarina-wiegman-salary-750000-report
- 42bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64960102
- 43espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/27934425/jill-ellis-uswnt-salary-500000
- 44americansocceranalysis.com/2023/01/08/mls-coach-salaries-2022/
- 45teamusa.com/news/2022/09/07/coach-salaries-explained
- 46forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2024/02/13/comparing-wnba-and-nba-commissioner-pay/
- 80forbes.com/sites/moneyky/2023/05/10/most-paid-athletes-by-gender/
- 81forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2024/03/05/athlete-sponsorship-pay-gap/
- 49lpga.com/stats/money
- 51lpga.com/tournaments/payout
- 50pgatour.com/stats/stat.117.html
- 55nielsen.com/insights/2023/women-in-sports-statistics-professional-athletes/
- 65nielsen.com/insights/2020/women-and-sports-fanership/
- 56womeninsports.org/research/
- 60thesportsjournal.org/article/research-on-women-officiating-sports/
- 61digitalhub.fifa.com/m/3a9a5a9fd2b4b0/original/FIFA-Women-s-Football-Report-2019.pdf
- 63olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-factsheet-women-and-sport
- 64sfia.com/press-releases/2023/sports-and-recreation-participation-by-gender/
- 66statista.com/topics/2449/women-in-sports/
- 67www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consulting/articles/deloitte-future-of-sports-study-women-leadership.html
- 68www2.deloitte.com/global/en/industries/technology/media-and-telecommunications/future-of-sports-study.html
- 69fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/womens/womensworldcup/australia-new-zealand-2023/articles/prize-money
- 70fifa.com/womensworldcup/archive/france2019/news/prize-money-winners-receive-4-million
- 71fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/articles/fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022-prize-money
- 72fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/russia2018/articles/prize-money
- 75ussoccer.com/stories/2020/01/uswnt-cba-basics
- 76www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/t9interp.html
- 77www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/eadad.html
- 78ope.ed.gov/dl/Article/EquityInAthleticsDisclosure
- 79iqmedia.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Sponsorship-of-Womens-Sport-report-2022.pdf






