11 US States Where Women Earn the Most Compared to Men in 2025

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Women still have yet to make the same amount of money as their male peers. As of 2024, women earned an average of 85% of what men earned. Though there’s been notable improvement since 2003, when women earned 81% as much as men, it’s still a pretty bleak picture. In June 2024, the World Economic Forum forecast that it would take 134 years for the gender pay gap to seal. 

There is no state in the U.S. that boasts gender parity in pay, but there are several where women are doing less poorly. New research from the National Women’s Law Center found that in some states, women are making as much as 87 cents for every dollar a man makes. Below are the 11 states where the gender pay gap is the narrowest in 2025. GOBankingRates used data from BestPlaces to source the cost of living in each state. 

Oregon 

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 85 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 78 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 14% higher

Nevada

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 85 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 80 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 9.7% higher

Minnesota 

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 85 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 75 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 3% lower

Florida 

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 85 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 78 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 3% higher

Maine

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 85 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 78 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 3% lower

Alaska 

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 86 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 81 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 17% higher  

New York 

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 87 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 78 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 22% higher

North Carolina 

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 87 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 78 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 9% lower

California 

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 87 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 79 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 50% higher

Rhode Island  

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 87 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 80 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 13% higher

Vermont 

• Earnings made by full-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 88 cents 
• Earnings made by part-time working women for every dollar a man makes: 83 cents
• Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 1% higher

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