Gender Pay Gap by Occupation: Which Jobs Have the Biggest Disparity?

The National Picture

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics, the gender pay gap has stagnated and even reversed course. After decades of slow narrowing, women's median weekly earnings fell from 83.6% of men's in 2023 to roughly 82% in 2025 — and the trend continued into 2026.

Nine states with pay transparency laws have effectively closed the controlled pay gap (same job, same experience), suggesting that transparency legislation works. But the uncontrolled gap — reflecting occupational segregation, hours worked, and career interruptions — remains substantial.

Pay Gap by Industry Category

Using BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, we can compare median salaries across career categories. While BLS does not break OEWS data by gender directly, the structural pay differences between male-dominated and female-dominated occupations are stark.

Where the Gap Is Largest

Research from PayScale's 2026 Gender Pay Gap Report identifies the widest gaps in:

• Finance and Insurance — women earn 73 cents per dollar. Financial advisors, portfolio managers, and insurance agents show some of the largest disparities, partly driven by commission-based pay structures.
• Healthcare (Physicians) — female physicians earn roughly 75% of what male physicians earn, driven by specialty selection (women are overrepresented in lower-paying specialties like pediatrics and family medicine).
• Legal — female lawyers earn approximately 77% of male lawyers' median, with the gap widening at partner level.
• Sales Management — commission-heavy roles show gaps of 20%+ due to territory assignment, client allocation, and negotiation dynamics.

Where the Gap Is Smallest

• Technology (Individual Contributors) — at the same job level, the controlled gap is under 2% at most large tech companies. However, the promotion gap means fewer women reach senior/principal levels where compensation jumps significantly.
• Trades — electricians, plumbers, and welders show near-parity in base pay, though women make up less than 5% of the workforce. The few women in trades often earn comparable hourly rates.
• Education — public school teachers have salary schedules set by collective bargaining, producing the smallest gaps of any large occupation. The gap here reflects more hours/coaching stipends rather than base pay.
• Government and public administration — structured GS pay scales and transparency requirements compress the gap to under 5%.

What Drives the Gap

The pay gap is not a single phenomenon — it is the compound result of several factors:

1. Occupational segregation — women are overrepresented in lower-paying fields (education, social work, nursing) and underrepresented in higher-paying ones (engineering, finance, tech management).
2. Negotiation dynamics — studies show women negotiate starting salaries less frequently and face social penalties when they do.
3. Career interruptions — women take more time out of the workforce for caregiving, which compounds into lower lifetime earnings.
4. Promotion velocity — the "broken rung" at first promotion to management disproportionately affects women, creating a leadership pipeline gap.

What You Can Do

Whether you are an employee or employer, salary transparency is the most effective tool for closing pay gaps:

• Know your market rate — use BLS percentile data on our salary calculator to benchmark against verified data, not self-reported surveys.
• Compare by city — cost-of-living differences can mask or amplify real pay disparities. A $90K salary in Houston goes further than $120K in San Francisco.
• Document everything — if you suspect a pay gap, compare your salary against the 50th percentile for your role and city on SalaryTruth.