Women Earn 87.5 Cents for Every Dollar a Man Earns in New York State
Women in New York State earned 87.5 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2022, a significantly smaller gap than the national average of 82.0 cents. In 2022, the median earnings for women working full-time and year-round in New York State was $60,900 compared to $69,668 for men. New York had the third smallest wage gap among states in the U.S, behind Vermont and California.
The gender wage gap in New York widened slightly in 2022 from 2021 when the gap was 88.2 cents but remains smaller than it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (85.5 cents in 2019).
Women Make Up a Larger Share of The Part-time Workforce
Wage gap calculations typically include only full-time, year-round workers which leaves out many women who work part time or for part of the year. In New York State, 72.0% of working men 16 to 64 years old worked full-time, year-round compared to 62.1% of female workers in 2022. When the wage gap calculation includes all workers, women earned 79.4 cents for every dollar earned by men.
The Gender Pay Gap Varies Widely by Race and Ethnicity
The gender pay gap continues to be substantially larger for women of color compared to non-Hispanic White women and Asian women in New York and nationally. For every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men in New York State, Hispanic or Latina women earned 59.4 cents, and Black and African American women earned 65.4 cents, while White women earned 82.7 cents and Asian women earned 84.6 cents.
Black and Hispanic Women Experience the Largest Gender Wage Gap
Female Median Earnings as a Percentage of White (non-Hispanic or Latino) Male Earnings, New York State, 2022
No Data Found
*Includes Hispanic or Latino
Note: Full-time, year-round workers, aged 16 years and over with earnings.
Source: American Community Survey 1-Year Data
Women Earn Less at Every Level of Educational Attainment
While women in New York State are now earning postsecondary degrees at a higher rate than men (41.5% of women 25 and over have a bachelor’s degree or higher vs. 38.3% of men), they are still subject to a pay gap upon graduation. Women with a bachelor’s degree earn 19.7% less than their male peers, while women with a graduate or professional degree earn 20.3% less. In fact, women with advanced degrees earn less than men with only a bachelor’s degree.
The Gender Wage Gap Rises With Education Levels
Male and Female Earnings by Education Level in New York State, New York State, 2022
No Data Found
Note: Medians have been interpolated. Full-time, year-round civilian workers age 25 years and over.
Source: 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year PUMS
The Gender Wage Gap Grows with Age
While women at the beginning of their careers have edged towards pay parity, the wage gap increases as they age. Women aged 25 to 34 in New York State earned 94.9 cents for every dollar of their male counterparts in 2022; the pay disparity grew to 79.1 cents for women aged 65 and older.
Women’s Earnings Begin to Decline Earlier Than Men’s
Male and Female Earnings by Age, New York State, 2022
No Data Found
Note: Medians have been interpolated. Civilian, Full-Time, Year-Round Workers
Source: 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year PUMS
Some of the widening in the pay gap reflects the disproportionate impact of family responsibilities on women’s careers, also known as the “motherhood penalty.” Parenthood leads many women to either take time away from the workforce or reduce their work hours which results in negative impacts on their earnings. In 2022, 93.0% of men with children under 18 participated in the labor force compared to just 76.7% of mothers. Based on data from public use files from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey, women aged 25 to 34 with children under 18 were paid 88.2 cents for every dollar fathers of a similar age earned; that gap grew to 75.5 cents for mothers aged 35 to 44. Meanwhile, women aged 35 to 44 without children earn 94.7% of their male counterparts.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Led to Changes in Occupations for Women and Men
Overall, full-time, year-round employment for women declined by 27,800 from 2019 to 2022 in New York State. Over the same period, there were 65,100 fewer men employed, however, men still accounted for a higher share of the full-time, year-round employment in 2022 (54.9%). Employment losses for women were centered in service occupations, including personal care and service occupations, healthcare support occupations, and food preparation and serving related occupations. Women and men experienced job gains in management, business, science, and arts occupations where women were paid 80.1 cents for every dollar men earned in 2022.
Women’s Job Losses Were Concentrated in Service Occupations
Changes in Full-Time, Year-Round Employment by Sex and Occupation, New York State, 2019-2022
No Data Found
Source: American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates