States With the Biggest (and Smallest) Gender Pay Gap

• A recent GOBankingRates study identified the states where the gender pay gap is the biggest and smallest. 
• The pay gap is more than $15,000 in the top nine states.
• To help close the pay gap, experts recommend using these tips during your job hunt.

It probably comes as no surprise that men earn more than women, on average, in America. But just how much more? In 2016, women working full time typically were paid 80 percent of what men were paid, according to the American Association of University Women.

However, the gender wage gap varies greatly from state to state. GOBankingRates used U.S. Census Bureau data to determine how much economic inequality there is between women and men in each state.

Click through to see the pay gap in your state. 

Florida

Pay gap between women and men: $6,725

Florida’s pay gap is the smallest of any state. It could be largely because the state’s male employees have the lowest median income in the nation: $33,745. Women have a median income of $27,020, which is about 80 percent of what men earn in the Sunshine State.

Florida has a few cities where incomes have been growing the fastest in the nation, but the state also has several cities where incomes have been shrinking.

Nevada

Pay gap between women and men: $6,990

With a median income of $29,440, women earn 80.8 percent of men’s median income of $36,430, which gives Nevada the second-smallest pay gap in the nation. There are a few career fields in the state where women come closer to earning equal pay with men: architecture and engineering, and office and administrative support occupations.

Arizona

Pay gap between women and men: $8,386

Arizona has the third-smallest gender wage gap, largely because men make less money here on average than men in most other states, and women earn more than their counterparts in more than half of the states. The median income for women is $28,410, compared with a median income of $36,796 for men.

Vermont

Pay gap between women and men: $8,812

Vermont is the only New England state that ranks among the top 10 states with the smallest wage gap. With a median income of $30,002, women make 77.3 percent of the men’s median income of $38,814.

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North Carolina

Pay gap between women and men: $8,915

North Carolina has the fifth-smallest pay gap in the nation, but women still make only 75.4 percent of what men earn. The median income of women in the state is $27,263, compared with $36,178 for men.

If you are looking to make more in N.C., check out which job pays the highest in the state.

Hawaii

Pay gap between women and men: $8,918

The relatively high median income of women in Hawaii helps keep the wage gap smaller here than in most states. With a median income of $31,716, women earn 78.1 percent of what men do ($40,634).

Arkansas

Pay gap between women and men: $9,338

The pay gap between women and men in Arkansas is among the smallest in the United States. However, the women’s median income of $24,836 is just 72.7 percent of the men’s income of $34,174.

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New Mexico

Pay gap between women and men: $9,447

Although New Mexico’s pay gap is among the smallest in America, the smaller disparity is partly because both women and men have relatively low median incomes. The figure for women in the state is $25,042; for men, it’s $34,489.

Tennessee

Pay gap between women and men: $9,582

Tennessee has the ninth-smallest gender wage gap. However, women still don’t come close to earning equal pay compared to men. Women earn a median income of $26,504, while men make $36,086.

New York

Pay gap between women and men: $9,727

New York has one of the smallest pay gaps, but that’s because the median income for women here — $33,636 — is higher than in most states. Still, the figure is 77.6 percent of the men’s median income of $43,363.

Georgia

Pay gap between women and men: $9,785

The wage gap in Georgia is smaller than in most states. With a median income of $27,753, women earn about 74 percent of men’s median income of $37,538. The smallest pay gap in the state is in office and administrative support positions, where women make 93.1 percent of what men earn.

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South Carolina

Pay gap between women and men: $9,906

South Carolina’s wage gap is smaller than the gap in a majority of states. Yet with a median income of $26,174, women make just 72.5 percent of men’s median income of $36,080.

California

Pay gap between women and men: $9,961

Despite revelations about the pay inequality in Hollywood, California’s pay gap between women and men is smaller than in most states. With a median income of $30,548, women earn about 75 percent of men’s median income of $40,509.

District of Columbia

Pay gap between women and men: $10,197

Women in the nation’s capital have the highest median income at $50,376. Women earn 83.2 percent of men’s median income of $60,573 — which also is the highest in the nation.

Mississippi

Pay gap between women and men: $10,342

The median income of women in Mississippi — $24,793 — is the fourth lowest in the United States. However, the pay gap in the Magnolia State is smaller than in a majority of states. That’s because men also have a low median income: $35,135.

Maine

Pay gap between women and men: $10,571

The wage gap in Maine is smaller than the gap in more than half of the states. However, women still earn just 71.9 percent of what men make in the state. Women’s median income is $27,016, compared with the men’s figure of $37,587.

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Rhode Island

Pay gap between women and men: $10,636

The median income of women in Rhode Island — $31,365 — is higher than in a majority of states. But women still make just 74.7 percent of the men’s median income of $42,001.

Missouri

Pay gap between women and men: $10,780

Women in Missouri earn 71.5 percent of what men in the state make. The median income of female workers is $26,981, compared with the men’s median of $37,761.

Kentucky

Pay gap between women and men: $10,967

Kentucky women have the 11th-lowest median income in the United States — $25,869. However, the pay gap in the Bluegrass State is the 19th smallest in the country. That’s because the median income of men — $36,836 — is lower than in most states.

South Dakota

Pay gap between women and men: $11,248

On average, women in South Dakota earn only 70 percent of what men make. The median income for women is $26,296, compared with $37,544 for men.

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Colorado

Pay gap between women and men: $11,312

The pay gap in Colorado is smaller than in about half of the states. The median income for men here is $42,399. The median income for women is about 73 percent of that — $31,087.

Oregon

Pay gap between women and men: $11,433

Oregon’s pay gap is smaller than the gap in about half of the states. Women here have a median income of $26,931, which is about 70 percent of men’s median income of $38,364.

Oklahoma

Pay gap between women and men: $11,655

The median income of women in Oklahoma — $25,804 — is the 10th lowest in the United States. However, the men’s median income of $37,459 is relatively low. So the gender wage gap in the Sooner State isn’t among the biggest.

Maryland

Pay gap between women and men: $11,740

Women in Maryland have the second-highest median income in the nation: $39,054. Yet they earn about 77 percent of the men’s median income of $50,794. The only fields where women in the state come close to earning equal pay are community- and social-services occupations, and office and administrative support jobs.

Alabama

Pay gap between women and men: $11,983

With a median income of $25,469, women in Alabama earn just 68 percent of the men’s median income of $37,452. The career fields with the biggest pay gap between women and men in the state are legal and sales occupations.

Montana

Pay gap between women and men: $12,186

Montana women have the third-lowest median income in the United States: $24,100. But the state’s pay gap isn’t among the biggest because the median income of men — $36,286 — is among the lowest in the nation.

Texas

Pay gap between women and men: $12,237

The wage gap is bigger in Texas than in about half of the states. The median income for men is $39,543, but women make just 69.1 percent of that: $27,306.

Minnesota

Pay gap between women and men: $12,638

With a median income of $31,410, women earn 71.3 percent of the men’s median income of $44,048 in Minnesota, leaving the ladies with a wage gap that is bigger than in about half of the states.

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Illinois

Pay gap between women and men: $12,766

Although women in Illinois make more, on average, than women in a majority of states, the gender wage gap here still is bigger than in about half of the states. The median income for women is $30,452, compared with $43,218 for men.

Wisconsin

Pay gap between women and men: $12,820

The pay gap in Wisconsin is bigger than the gap in more than half of the states. With a median income of $28,167, women earn just 68.7 percent of the men’s figure of $40,987. The career field where women come closest to earning equal pay with men in the state is office and administrative support.

Pennsylvania

Pay gap between women and men: $12,836

Although women here earn more, on average, than women in a majority of states, the pay gap is still bigger in Pennsylvania than in more than half of the other states. The women’s median income is $29,525, which is 69.7 percent of the men’s median of $42,361.

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Nebraska

Pay gap between women and men: $12,922

On average, women in Nebraska earn just 67.5 percent of what men make. The women’s median income in the Cornhusker State is $26,818, compared with the men’s figure of $39,740.

Idaho

Pay gap between women and men: $13,037

Women in Idaho have the lowest median income in the nation: $22,473. However, the gender wage gap here is not as big as in other states because the median income for men also is low at $35,510.

West Virginia

Pay gap between women and men: $13,177

The median income for women in West Virginia — $24,917 — is the sixth lowest in the nation. It’s just 65.4 percent of the men’s median of $38,094. As a result, the wage gap here is bigger than in a majority of states.

Kansas

Pay gap between women and men: $13,387

The pay gap in Kansas is bigger than in a majority of states. With a median income of $26,979, women here earn 66.8 percent of the men’s median of $40,366.

Ohio

Pay gap between women and men: $13,392

With a median income of $27,242, women in Ohio earn just 67 percent of the men’s figure of $40,634. As a result, the pay gap in the Buckeye State is bigger than in a majority of states.

Iowa

Pay gap between women and men: $13,729

Women in this Midwestern state make just 66.4 percent of what men earn. The median income for women in Iowa is $27,078, compared with $40,807 for men.

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Indiana

Pay gap between women and men: $13,889

At $40,118, the median income of men in Indiana is lower than in about half of the states. But Indiana’s women earn even less — a median of $26,229, which is 65.4 percent of what the state’s men make.

Virginia

Pay gap between women and men: $13,905

With a median income of $32,063, women in Virginia earn more than women in most states. Yet they make less than 70 percent of the men’s median income of $45,968.

Michigan

Pay gap between women and men: $14,286

Michigan’s pay gap of $14,286 is higher than in most states. The median income for women here — $26,137 — ranks close to the bottom in the nation. On the other hand, the men’s median of $40,423 is higher than in half of the states.

New Hampshire

Pay gap between women and men: $14,612

With a median income of $31,817, women in New Hampshire earn 68.5 percent of the men’s median of $46,429. Sales positions have the biggest gender wage gap in the state, with women earning only 37.9 percent of what men make.

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Massachusetts

Pay gap between women and men: $15,025

The wage gap in Massachusetts is among the highest in the nation. With a median income of $35,842, women in the state make 70.5 percent of the men’s median of $50,867. The one field where women earn more than men is community- and social-services occupations, where females earn 104.4 percent of what men make.

Alaska

Pay gap between women and men: $15,322

The median income of women in Alaska — $35,047 — is among the highest in the United States. Yet they earn only 69.6 percent of what men do ($50,369).

In addition to the wage gap in Alaska, it’s one of the worst states if you’re unemployed and want a job, another GOBankingRates study has found.

New Jersey

Pay gap between women and men: $15,676

The wage gap in New Jersey is among the highest in the nation. Although the women’s median income of $35,866 is the third highest, it’s just 69.6 percent of the men’s median income of $51,542. The only field where women earn more than men in New Jersey is in community and social services.

Connecticut

Pay gap between women and men: $15,686

The women’s median income of $35,681 in Connecticut is the fifth highest in the United States. However, men in the Consitution State have the third-highest median income: $51,367. As a result, women earn only 69.5 percent of what men make.

Delaware

Pay gap between women and men: $9,661

With a median income of $32,417, women in Delaware earn 77 percent of the men’s median of $42,078. The field where women come closest to earning equal pay is architecture, in which women make 97.3 percent of what men earn.

Washington

Pay gap between women and men: $15,924

Washington has the fifth-largest pay gap between women and men. Although the women’s median income — $31,087 — is higher than in most states, it’s still just 66.1 percent of the men’s median of $47,011. In fact, there isn’t a single career field in the state where women earn equal pay for equal work.

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Louisiana

Pay gap between women and men: $16,031

Louisiana’s female workers have a median income of $25,367, which is just 61.3 percent of the men’s median of $41,398. Sales positions have the biggest wage gap in the state, with women earning only 39.2 percent of what men make.

North Dakota

Pay gap between women and men: $16,203

The pay gap in North Dakota is the third largest in the United States. The median income of women in the state is $28,436, compared with $44,639 for men. The only field in the state that has equal pay for equal work is community and social services.

Utah

Pay gap between women and men: $17,648

Utah’s pay gap of $17,648 is the second biggest in the United States. The median income of women in Utah — $23,044 — is just 56.6 percent of the men’s median of $40,692.

Wyoming

Pay gap between women and men: $19,414

Wyoming has the biggest pay gap between women and men of any state. The women’s median income of $26,200 is among the lowest in the nation, while the men’s median of $45,614 is the 10th highest. The only jobs where women make more than men in the state are in community- and social-service occupations.

States With the Biggest and Smallest Pay Gaps

Women don’t earn equal pay alongside men in any state. However, the following states have the smallest gender wage gaps: Florida, Nevada, Arizona, Vermont and North Carolina. On the other hand, the following states have the biggest pay gaps in the nation: Wyoming, Utah, North Dakota, Louisiana and Washington.

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Methodology: GOBankingRates determined pay gaps between men and women in each state and the District of Columbia by analyzing data on income characteristics, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey (Five-Year Estimates). Factors in the study included: 1) median earnings of women; 2) median earnings of men; 3) women’s earnings as a percentage of male income; 4) the difference between incomes in dollar amounts.

About the Author

Cameron Huddleston

Cameron Huddleston is an award-winning journalist with more than 18 years of experience writing about personal finance. Her work has appeared in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Business Insider, Chicago Tribune, Fortune, MSN, USA Today and many more print and online publications. She also is the author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations With Your Parents About Their Finances.

U.S. News & World Report named her one of the top personal finance experts to follow on Twitter, and AOL Daily Finance named her one of the top 20 personal finance influencers to follow on Twitter. She has appeared on CNBC, CNN, MSNBC and “Fox & Friends” and has been a guest on ABC News Radio, Wall Street Journal Radio, NPR, WTOP in Washington, D.C., KGO in San Francisco and other personal finance radio shows nationwide. She also has been interviewed and quoted as an expert in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, MarketWatch and more.

She has an MA in economic journalism from American University and BA in journalism and Russian studies from Washington & Lee University.

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