Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Fact-Checked

Our content is fact checked by our senior editorial staff to reflect accuracy and ensure our readers get sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices.

We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including scientific studies and medical journals.

If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing editors@bestlifeonline.com.

This Is the State With the Worst Gender Pay Gap, According to Data

Women are paid less than 70 percent of men's wages in these 15 states.

Woman holding coins to show wage gap
Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock

Ever since the Equal Pay Act was signed in 1963, women have slowly been making strides to close the gender pay gap. Yet according to a 2020 analysis by the Pew Research Center, progress has stalled over the past 15 years, with women’s pay rates holding steady at a national average of roughly 84 percent of men’s pay. “Based on this estimate, it would take an extra 42 days of work for women to earn what men did in 2020,” Pew experts conclude. Women of color face even more striking pay disadvantages, says the National Women's Law Center. Though some of this gap can be explained by measurable factors—including women’s higher likelihood to take time off for child care, educational attainment, and occupational segregation—there are also facets of this financial gap that are “more difficult to measure,” Pew says. That includes gender discrimination, stereotyping, and weaker job networking opportunities, to name a few.


Of course, it’s no secret that while the pay gap persists across the U.S., some states have more inequity than others. That’s exactly why the financial site GOBankingRates analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau to identify the states with the smallest and largest pay gaps in the U.S. In crunching the numbers, they found that women make less than 70 cents for every dollar a man makes in each of the worst-offending 15 states. Read on to learn which state has the worst gender pay gap—and to find out if your home state is in the hot seat.

RELATED: This Is How Much Money People Make on Average in Your State, Data Shows.

15 | Washington

The Autumn Seattle Skyline Sunset.iStock
  • Median earnings for men: $51,678
  • Median earnings for women: $35,768
  • Difference: $15,910
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 69.2 percent

14 | Montana

capital building in helena, montanaShutterstock
  • Median earnings for men: $39,676
  • Median earnings for women: $27,403
  • Difference: $12,273
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 69.1 percent

13 | Pennsylvania

city skyline on the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at duskShutterstock
  • Median earnings for men: $46,301
  • Median earnings for women: $31,945
  • Difference: $14,356
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 69.0 percent

RELATED: This City Has the Most Overpriced Homes in America, According to Data.

12 | Illinois

chicago cityscape over the riveriStock
  • Median earnings for men: $47,711
  • Median earnings for women: $32,914
  • Difference: $14,797
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 69.0 percent

11 | Iowa

IowaShutterstock
  • Median earnings for men: $44,968
  • Median earnings for women: $30,725
  • Difference: $14,243
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 68.3 percent

10 | Rhode Island

downtown providence rhode islandShutterstock
  • Median earnings for men: $50,015
  • Median earnings for women: $33,767
  • Difference: $16,248
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 67.5 percent

9 | Oklahoma

tulsa oklahomaShutterstock
  • Median earnings for men: $40,482
  • Median earnings for women: $27,328
  • Difference: $13,154
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 67.5 percent

RELATED: This Is How Much Money Makes You Middle Class in Your State, Data Shows.

8 | New Hampshire

Portsmouth is the third oldest city in the United StatesiStock
  • Median earnings for men: $51,102
  • Median earnings for women: $34,112
  • Difference: $16,990
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 66.8 percent

7 | Alabama

Montgomery, AlabamaShutterstock
  • Median earnings for men: $41,210
  • Median earnings for women: $27,263
  • Difference: $13,947
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 66.2 percent

6 | West Virginia

Panorama of WVU Coliseum Arena and campus of West Virginia University with river Monongahela in Morgantown, West VirginiaiStock
  • Median earnings for men: $39,878
  • Median earnings for women: $25,860
  • Difference: $14,018
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 64.8 percent

5 | Idaho

boise idahoShutterstock
  • Median earnings for men: $40,484
  • Median earnings for women: $26,227
  • Difference: $14,257
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 64.8 percent

4 | North Dakota

bridge in valley city north dakotaShutterstock
  • Median earnings for men: $50,190
  • Median earnings for women: $32,305
  • Difference: $17,885
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 64.4 percent

And for more rankings and state news sent directly to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

3 | Louisiana

exterior architecture in New Orleans, southern and festiveiStock
  • Median earnings for men: $43,605
  • Median earnings for women: $26,943
  • Difference: $16,662
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 61.8 percent

2 | Wyoming

city skyline of downtown Cheyenne, WyomingiStock
  • Median earnings for men: $47,377
  • Median earnings for women: $27,361
  • Difference: $20,016
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 57.8 percent

1 | Utah

Shutterstock/Johnny Adolphson
  • Median earnings for men: $45,834
  • Median earnings for women: $26,194
  • Difference: $19,640
  • Women's earnings as a percentage of men's: 57.1 percent

RELATED: This Is How Much Money People Your Age Make in Your State, Data Shows.