Not All Paychecks Are Equal

According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics figures, women earned 80 cents for every dollar men made in 2004, up only 20 cents from 1970, despite a decrease in workplace discrimination and an increase in women with college and professional degrees. Skeptics of the wage gap say women earn less because men take higher-paying jobs in math, science or fields that pose daily physical dangers, such as firefighting. But the bureau’s data on median weekly earnings show that women earn less than men even when performing the same job. The ratio of women’s income to men’s is expressed as a percentage. -- Swati Pandey

*

Chief Executive Officer

Men ...$1,875

Women ...$1,310

W/M ratio ...70%

*

Accountant

Men ...$1,016

Women ...$757

W/M ratio...75%

*

Computer Programmer

Men: ...$1,151

Women ...$1,006

W/M ratio...87%

*

Social Worker

Men: ...$720

Women ...$689

W/M ratio...96%

*

Lawyer

Men: ...$1,710

Women: ...$1,255

W/M ratio...73%

*

Elementary School Teacher

Men: ...$917

Women: ...$776

W/M ratio: ...85%

*

Bartender

Men: ...$482

Women: ...$392

W/M ratio ...81%

*

Editor

Men: ...$946

Women: ...$759

W/M ratio ...80%

*

Registered Nurse

Men: ...$1,031

Women: ...$895

W/M ratio ...87%

*

Police Officer

Men: ...$845

Women: ...$841

W/M ratio ...100%

*

Butcher

Men: ...$488

Women: ...$369

W/M ratio ...76%

*

Bus Driver

Men: ...$588

Women: ...$440

W/M ratio ...75%

*

All data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Household Data Annual Averages, Table 39: “Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by detailed occupation and sex,” 2004.