The 10 industries with the biggest pay disparities between men and women

Women in the U.S. still make a lot less than men.

On average, women working full-time make just 84 cents to every dollar a man earns, according to the Department of Labor (DOL). And those numbers are worse for Black and Hispanic women. In 2023, Black and Hispanic women were denied a whopping $96 billion in wages compared to white men because of these disparities. And, according to the DOL, women need to earn at least one additional degree just to make the equivalent of a man without the same.

Over a lifetime, these losses add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, threatening women’s financial stability and retirement prospects.

Goat Academy, a financial education community, used DOL data to analyze earnings by men and women to see which industries have the widest pay gaps. It found that many of the largest disparities exist in finance jobs.

“These inequalities are partly due to disparities in hiring, negotiation, and promotion practices, as well as the lingering impact of traditional gender roles,” Goat Academy spokesperson Felix Prehn said. “While some progress has been made, these gaps reveal a persistent issue that limits earning potential for women in the workforce.”

Check out which 10 industries have the largest gender pay gaps.