Here’s Where the Gender Pay Gap Has Been Shrinking the Fastest Over the Last Decade

According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median earnings for women is 81.10% of the median earnings for men, which places the gender pay gap at 18.90%.

The gender pay gap represents the percent difference between the median yearly earnings of males and females working full-time.

Have we seen improvements to the gender pay gap in the last decade? LendEDU sought to answer this by analyzing earnings data from the U.S. Census Bureau from both 2010 and 2018.

We also took our study one step further by analyzing decade-long gender pay gap changes on a state and city level to find out where the gap has been shrinking the most.

For 664 areas and all 50 states plus Washington D.C., we tracked how the gender pay gap has changed over nearly a full decade and ranked the places accordingly.

In this report, you will find the following:

• Nationwide Change in Gender Pay Gap
• Change in Gender Pay Gap by City
• Change in Gender Pay Gap by State

Nationwide Change in Gender Pay Gap

The following chart displays how the national gender pay gap changed from 2010 to 2018 based on yearly median earnings for full-time, year-round workers data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

You will notice that the 2018 gender pay gap percentage found below is different from the aforementioned 18.90% found in the intro. This is because the latter percentage comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and is based on median weekly earnings, whereas the data below comes from the U.S. Census Bureau and is based on median yearly earnings.

Based on the two-gender pay gap percentages found by hovering over the orange dots in the chart above, the gender pay gap in the U.S. shrunk by 2.14 percentage points from 2010 to 2018.

Change in Gender Pay Gap by City

The following table displays how the gender pay gap changed from 2010 to 2018 for 664 areas according to U.S. Census Bureau data based on yearly median earnings by city and gender for full time, year-round workers.

A larger gender pay gap percentage was indicative of a larger gap between male and female earnings. The last column shows the raw change in gender pay gap percentages. The more negative the number, the more the gap shrunk from 2010 to 2018.

For example, the gender pay gap in Kerrville, Texas shrunk by 20.59 percentage points, which was the most considerable shrinking amongst all analyzed cities.

To be included in this section, a metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area had to have yearly median earnings data for both 2010 and 2018, in addition to having at least 20,000 residents above the age of 16 with earnings for both years. To find all the cities included from a specific state and to see how they ranked against each other, you can either sort the table according to the state column or type the desired state’s abbreviation into the search bar.

You can also see which places had the smallest gender pay gaps from either year, regardless of change, by sorting either gender pay gap column in ascending order.

Change in Gender Pay Gay by State

The following table and map both feature the same analysis found above, except this time we tracked how the gender pay gap has changed in all 50 states and Washington D.C. from 2010 to 2018.

As a Table

As a Map

Tips on Budgeting & Managing Your Finances

No matter what your salary is, maintaining a budget and staying on top of your finances is crucial for personal financial health.

LendEDU provides a few helpful tips on how to do this.

Handle Student Loan Repayment Efficiently

In 2020, many young adults are entering the working world with some amount of student loan debt. Whether you have federal student loans, private student loans, or both, handling your student loan repayment by understanding your options can go a long way toward securing your financial future.

For example, you could utilize an income-driven repayment plan so that you only have to make student loan payments that are a reasonable percentage of your income. Or you could refinance your student loans to possibly secure a lower student loan interest rate. Refinancing your student loans more than once is even a possibility.

Whatever student loan repayment strategy you implement, having a good understanding of all the available options will help you repay your student loans fast.

Look Into Side-Hustles

These days, the gig economy is stronger than it has ever been. If you feel that you have the extra time and resources to have a side hustle, it can be a terrific way to bring in some extra income to help keep your budget healthy.

Whether you want to write content as a freelancer or become a petsitter, there are countless side hustles from which to choose in 2020.

Don’t Be Afraid of a Responsible Amount of Debt

Sometimes, managing your finances and keeping to a budget can feel impossible, especially if your cash flow is tight. In situations like this, additional financing from a personal loan, credit card, or home equity loan can help you be flexible with your budget.

Remember to stay on top of your monthly payments with any of the above financial products and to limit your use whenever possible, and they can go a long way toward helping you.

Methodology

All data in this report comes from the U.S. Census Bureau. The yearly median earnings for full-time, year-round workers data for each state and Washington D.C., each metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area, and the U.S. as a whole country, was pulled to complete the analysis. Two datasets found within the U.S. Census Bureau, the five-year American Community Survey from 2010 and the five-year American Community Survey from 2018, were pulled for this analysis. For any metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area to be included in this report, it had to have yearly median earnings for full-time, year-round workers data from each year, in addition to having at least 20,000 residents above the age of 16 with earnings for both years.

To complete the analysis, a respective metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area’s or state’s yearly median earnings data for both males and females from both 2010 and 2018 was pulled. To find the gender pay gap for each year, the following equation was used:

Gender Pay Gap = (Male Earnings – Female Earnings) / (Male Earnings)

Once that was completed for each location for both 2010 and 2018, the 2010 gender pay gap percentage was subtracted from the 2018 gender pay gap percentage to find the raw change in gender pay gap. A more negative value was indicative of the gender pay gap tightening, while a more positive (or less negative) value was indicative of the gender pay gap growing farther apart.

See more of LendEDU’s Research