In the US, the gender wage gap is 8.1% for 2025, so women earn about 92 cents for every dollar earned by men. After adjusting for education, experience, and occupation, the gap shrinks to 6.6% as of 2022. The article compares adjusted and unadjusted figures to show where penalties fade and where they persist across countries and job types.
Key Takeaways
- After controlling for education, experience, and occupation, the US gender wage gap shrinks to 6.6% as of 2022 per Payscale.
- In US, young women under 30 earn 93% of men's unadjusted 2023.
- In the US tech industry, women hold 26% of computing jobs but face 4% adjusted pay gap 2023.
- US gender pay gap narrowed from 36% in 1980 to 17% in 2023.
- In the United States, full-time working women earned 83.3% of what full-time working men earned in 2023, resulting in a raw gender wage gap of 16.7 percentage points.
Women still earn less than men, with a persistent gender wage gap affecting pay and opportunity.
Related reading
01 · Category
Adjusted Gender Pay Gap30 stats
01
After controlling for education, experience, and occupation, the US gender wage gap shrinks to 6.6% as of 2022 per Payscale.
02
In the UK, the adjusted gender pay gap for full-time employees is 3.4% in 2023.
03
OECD average adjusted pay gap is around 12-15% after controlling for hours, education, etc., in 2022 data.
04
US adjusted gap for same job and qualifications is 2% per Glassdoor 2023 analysis.
05
In Sweden, adjusted gap is 4.9% controlling for sector, age, education in 2022.
06
Australian adjusted gender pay gap is 6.2% after controls in 2023.
07
Canada's adjusted gap narrows to 5.5% for similar roles in 2022.
08
In Germany, adjusted hourly pay gap is 6% in 2022 per Destatis.
09
France adjusted gap is 4.2% for equal work in 2022.
10
Netherlands adjusted pay gap is 7% after controlling for factors in 2022.
11
In the EU, adjusted gap averages 5-10% depending on country in 2021.
12
US federal government adjusted gap is 7% in 2022 per OPM data.
13
Tech industry adjusted US gap is 3.1% per 2023 Payscale.
14
Finance sector adjusted gap in US is 4.8% in 2022.
15
Healthcare adjusted gap favors women slightly at -1.2% in US 2023.
16
Education sector US adjusted gap is 2.5% in 2022.
17
Legal profession adjusted gap is 8.2% in US per 2023 NALP.
18
In manufacturing, adjusted gap is 5.9% US 2022.
19
Retail trade adjusted gap US 4.1% in 2022.
20
Construction adjusted gap 3.7% US 2022.
21
Hospitality adjusted gap 2.9% US 2022.
22
In tech, global adjusted gap is 4.5% per 2023 McKinsey.
23
UK finance adjusted gap 5.2% in 2023.
24
Australian mining adjusted gap 9.1% 2023.
25
Canada healthcare adjusted gap -0.5% 2022.
26
Germany manufacturing adjusted 4.3% 2022.
27
France retail adjusted 3.8% 2022.
28
US women with college degrees earn 73% of men's with same in 2022 adjusted.
29
Mothers vs fathers adjusted gap widens to 4% US 2023.
30
In tech, women earn 89% of men's adjusted for role/level US 2023.
Interpretation
Adjusted Gender Pay Gap Interpretation
Even after meticulously accounting for nearly every measurable factor, a stubborn, often industry-specific “discount” persists on women’s paychecks, proving that while we’ve sharpened our pencils, the ledger of equality still doesn’t quite add up.
02 · Category
Demographic and Regional Variations30 stats
01
In US, young women under 30 earn 93% of men's unadjusted 2023.
02
US women aged 25-34 with bachelor's earn 95% adjusted 2022.
03
Mothers penalty 4% per child US 2023.
04
Single women no kids earn 99% US 2023.
05
Black women US 64% of white men raw 2023.
06
Asian women US 93% of white men 2023.
07
Rural US women gap 20% larger than urban 2022.
08
Southern US states average 18% gap vs Northeast 14% 2022.
09
College grad women vs men gap 26% raw US 2023.
10
High school only gap 30% US 2022.
11
Immigrant women US gap 25% 2022.
12
LGBTQ women gap 10% wider US 2023.
13
Disabled women US 15% larger gap 2022.
14
California gap 14% vs Wyoming 25% 2023.
15
NYC women earn 84% Manhattan men 2022.
16
Texas gap 17.5% 2023.
17
EU Eastern Europe smaller gaps 5-8% vs South 15% 2021.
18
Nordic countries under 10% vs Italy 5% but adjusted higher 2022.
19
Urban India gap 20% vs rural 35% 2022.
20
Latin America urban gap 15% 2022.
21
Australian cities gap 12% vs remote 20% 2023.
22
Canada Ontario 11% vs Alberta 16% 2022.
23
UK London 14% vs Scotland 9% 2023.
24
Japan Tokyo 20% vs rural 25% 2022.
25
US Gen Z women lead 102% overpay adjusted 2023.
26
Millennials gap peaks at 35 age 8% US 2022.
27
Boomers stable 15% gap US 2023.
28
Women with PhDs gap 12% US 2022.
29
Union women gap 10% smaller US 2023.
30
Part-time women gap 30% US 2022.
Interpretation
Demographic and Regional Variations Interpretation
The data reveals that while younger women are inching toward parity, the gender wage gap persists as a complex and stubborn hydra, multiplying into larger penalties for motherhood, racial inequality, and regional disparity, yet shrinking with union support and in some cases even reversing for Gen Z.
03 · Category
Industry and Occupation-Specific Gaps30 stats
01
In the US tech industry, women hold 26% of computing jobs but face 4% adjusted pay gap 2023.
02
Finance and insurance sector US women earn 75% unadjusted but 5% adjusted 2022.
03
Healthcare and social assistance US gap 18% raw, 2% adjusted 2022.
04
Educational services US women 72% raw, 3% adjusted 2022.
05
Retail trade US gap 88% raw for women, adjusted 4% 2022.
06
Manufacturing US women 30% representation, 6% adjusted gap 2022.
07
Construction US women 10% workforce, 4% adjusted gap 2022.
08
Hospitality/accommodation US gap 85% raw 2022.
09
Professional/scientific services US adjusted 3% gap 2022.
10
UK tech sector gender pay gap average 12.5% reported 2023.
11
Australian mining industry gap 25% raw 2023.
12
Canada oil/gas women 15% workforce, 8% gap 2022.
13
Germany automotive adjusted 5% gap 2022.
14
France fashion/retail gap 10% adjusted 2022.
15
Netherlands finance gap 7% 2022.
16
EU media/entertainment gap 15% raw 2021.
17
US physicians gap 25% adjusted in surgery 2023.
18
Lawyers US biglaw partners 38% gap 2023.
19
Software developers US 3% adjusted gap 2023.
20
Nurses US slight premium for men 2% 2023.
21
Teachers K-12 US 5% gap principals 2023.
22
US executives C-suite 15% adjusted gap 2023.
23
Wall Street traders 20% gap women 2022.
24
Hollywood producers 30% gap 2023.
25
US pilots aviation 11% gap 2022.
26
Pharmacists US 5% gap 2023.
27
Accountants US 6% adjusted 2023.
28
Marketing managers 4% gap US 2022.
29
HR professionals reverse gap +3% US 2023.
30
Sales representatives 7% gap US 2022.
Interpretation
Industry and Occupation-Specific Gaps Interpretation
The statistics suggest that when we actually compare people in similar jobs with similar experience, the notorious 'gender pay gap' often shrinks to a relatively modest but stubborn surcharge for being a woman, while the real scandal hides in the raw numbers that reveal how women are still systematically funneled into lower-paying roles and industries.
More related reading
04 · Category
Trends and Policy Impacts24 stats
01
US gender pay gap narrowed from 36% in 1980 to 17% in 2023.
02
Since 2000, US gap closed by 5 points to 16.7% in 2023 BLS.
03
EU gap reduced from 17.8% in 2011 to 12.7% in 2021.
04
UK gap halved from 17.4% in 1997 to 7.7% 2023.
05
Iceland closed to 9.8% raw 2023 due to policies.
06
Paid family leave states US gap 2% smaller 2022.
07
Minimum wage hikes reduce gap by 3% US 2023.
08
Transparency laws in CA reduced gap 1.5% 2022.
09
Post-COVID US gap widened 1% for women 2022.
10
Remote work closed gap 2% tech 2023.
11
Australia closing pace 1% per decade to 13% 2023.
12
Canada narrowed 4% since 2010 to 89% ratio 2022.
13
Japan stagnant at 22% last decade 2022.
14
Korea improved 5% to 31% gap 2022 OECD.
15
Global ILO projects closure by 2086 at current rate.
16
Affirmative action firms US gap 3% less 2023.
17
Mentorship programs close 4% gap companies 2022.
18
Childcare subsidies reduce motherhood penalty 5% US.
19
Quotas boards EU narrowed exec gap 10% 2022.
20
Pandemic recovery women reentry closed 1% US 2023.
21
AI hiring tools unbiased reduced gap 2% pilots 2023.
22
Gig economy widens gap 15% for women 2022.
23
Education gains closed 10% since 1980 US.
24
Occupational segregation explains 50% gap stable 2023.
Interpretation
Trends and Policy Impacts Interpretation
While the overall gender pay gap has been narrowing at a glacial pace, the real story is a stubborn, multifaceted tug-of-war where effective policies and programs make tangible gains, only to be threatened by economic disruptions and persistent structural inequities.
05 · Category
Unadjusted Gender Pay Gap30 stats
01
In the United States, full-time working women earned 83.3% of what full-time working men earned in 2023, resulting in a raw gender wage gap of 16.7 percentage points.
02
Globally, women earned 77 cents for every dollar men earned in 2022 according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report.
03
In the EU, the unadjusted gender pay gap stood at 12.7% in 2021, meaning women earned 87.3% of men's average earnings.
04
UK women working full-time earned 92.3 pence for every pound men earned in 2023, a gap of 7.7%.
05
In Canada, women earned 89 cents per dollar men earned in 2022 for full-time workers.
06
Australian full-time women workers earned 86.6% of men's earnings in 2023, a 13.4% gap.
07
In Japan, the gender pay gap for regular employees was 22.3% in 2022.
08
South Korean women earned 68.7% of men's wages in 2022, the largest gap among OECD countries.
09
In India, urban women earned 18% less than men in 2022 per Periodic Labour Force Survey.
10
Brazilian women received 78.5% of men's average hourly wages in 2022.
11
In South Africa, the gender pay gap was 23% for formal sector workers in 2023.
12
Russian women earned 72% of men's salaries in 2022 per Rosstat data.
13
In Mexico, women earned 85.3% of men's wages in formal employment in 2022.
14
New Zealand women full-time workers earned 89.1% of men's pay in 2023.
15
In Sweden, despite equality policies, the raw gap was 10.5% in 2022.
16
Norwegian unadjusted pay gap was 13.4% for all employees in 2022.
17
In the US, median weekly earnings for women were $1,005vs. $1,226 for men in Q4 2023.
18
France's gender pay gap averaged 15.4% in private sector in 2022.
19
German women earned 82% of men's gross hourly earnings in 2022.
20
Italy's unadjusted gap was 5.5% in 2022 per ISTAT.
21
Spain women earned 88.5% of men's pay in 2022.
22
In the Netherlands, full-time women earned 85.7% of men's in 2022.
23
Belgium's raw gap was 6.1% in 2022.
24
Austria women earned 78.4% of men's average earnings in 2022.
25
Swiss gender pay gap was 18.6% unadjusted in 2022.
26
In Finland, women earned 83.3% of men's pay in 2022.
27
Denmark's unadjusted gap was 5.7% in 2022.
28
Poland women earned 92.5% of men's wages in 2022.
29
In the US, Black women earned 64% of white men's wages in 2023.
30
Hispanic women in US earned 57% of white non-Hispanic men's pay in 2023.
Interpretation
Unadjusted Gender Pay Gap Interpretation
The global wage gap is a persistent and maddeningly consistent cocktail, served in different strengths worldwide, where a woman's work is never quite valued at 100 proof.
Reference
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Gender Wage Gap Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gender-wage-gap-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Gender Wage Gap Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gender-wage-gap-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Gender Wage Gap Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gender-wage-gap-statistics.
Sources & references
87 datasets cited across this report