Industries With the Biggest (and Smallest) Racial Pay Gap

One of the most persistent myths about the American workplace is that, at least when it comes to pay, it’s a place of equity. If two people are doing the same job, the assumption is that both people will be paid equally (or very similarly) based only on their skills, without regard for race or any other nonmerit-based factors.

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The truth is, however, that a racial pay gap does exist. And in many industries, Black employees are sometimes earning much less than their white counterparts for the same amount of work.

Outside of the farming, fishing and forestry industries, where Black employees outearn white employees, almost every other industry leans the other way — with Black employees sometimes making as little as 70% of what white employees do.

Which industries have the biggest problems when it comes to the racial pay gap? Using data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey, GOBankingRates has found the industries with the smallest and the largest gaps in salary to shed light on — and start looking for better solutions — to this problem.

Here’s a closer look at inequality in the workforce.

Here are the industries — ranked from the biggest to smallest pay gap — that aren’t facing as bad of a problem as others when it comes to the racial pay gap.

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• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,146
• Annual earnings: $59,592
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,030
• Annual earnings: $53,560
• Annual difference: $6,032
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 90%

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• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $764
• Annual earnings: $39,728
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $697
• Annual earnings: $36,244
• Annual difference: $3,484
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 91%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,227
• Annual earnings: $63,804
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,133
• Annual earnings: $58,916
• Annual difference: $4,888
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 92%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $622
• Annual earnings: $32,344
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $584
• Annual earnings: $30,368
• Annual difference: $1,976
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 94%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $811
• Annual earnings: $42,172
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $762
• Annual earnings: $39,624
• Annual difference: $2,548
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 94%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $632
• Annual earnings: $32,864
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $596
• Annual earnings: $30,992
• Annual difference: $1,872
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 94%

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• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $570
• Annual earnings: $29,640
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $544
• Annual earnings: $28,288
• Annual difference: $1,352
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 95%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $626
• Annual earnings: $32,552
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $602
• Annual earnings: $31,304
• Annual difference: $1,248
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 96%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,076
• Annual earnings: $55,952
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,044
• Annual earnings: $54,288
• Annual difference: $1,664
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 97%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $643
• Annual earnings: $33,436
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $634
• Annual earnings: $32,868
• Annual difference: $468
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 99%

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These industries — ranked from the smallest to biggest gap — have a larger racial pay gap than others.

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,628
• Annual earnings: $84,656
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,394
• Annual earnings: $72,488
• Annual difference: $12,168
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 86%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,399
• Annual earnings: $72,748
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,197
• Annual earnings: $62,244
• Annual difference: $10,504
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 86%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $915
• Annual earnings: $47,580
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $772
• Annual earnings: $40,144
• Annual difference: $7,436
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 84%

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• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,630
• Annual earnings: $84,760
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,349
• Annual earnings: $70,148
• Annual difference: $14,612
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 83%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $845
• Annual earnings: $43,940
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $694
• Annual earnings: $36,088
• Annual difference: $7,852
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 82%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,626
• Annual earnings: $84,552
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,328
• Annual earnings: $69,056
• Annual difference: $15,496
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers:

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• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,407
• Annual earnings: $73,164
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,142
• Annual earnings: $59,384
• Annual difference: $13,780
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 81%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,572
• Annual earnings: $81,744
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,170
• Annual earnings: $60,840
• Annual difference: $20,904
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 74%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $1,061
• Annual earnings: $55,172
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $769
• Annual earnings: $39,988
• Annual difference: $15,184
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 72%

• White workers’ median weekly earnings: $934
• Annual earnings: $48,568
• Black workers’ median weekly earnings: $640
• Annual earnings: $33,280
• Annual difference: $15,288
• % of median white workers’ wage earned by Black or African American workers: 69%

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Methodology: GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey to find the 2021 median usual weekly earnings for white and Black full time workers in all major occupational groups for which data was available. GOBankingRates then calculated the median annual earnings for workers of each race in each occupational group. Finally, GOBankingRates calculated the annual difference in earnings between white and Black workers in each occupational group and the percent of the median white workers’ earnings Black workers in the same industry make. Only white and Black workers’ earnings were analyzed due to data limitations. All data was collected on and up to date as of Jan. 24, 2022.