The gender pay gap
Over the tenure of a career, the gender pay gap often widens, according to the report, which used a variety of data sources, including the U.S. Census.
For women between the ages of 25 and 34, pay is about 5% lower than for men of the same age. But by 35 years old, the gap widens to between 17% and 20%.
“Women, particularly when they enter the workforce following college, start on an even playing field, and then as they advance their career, they’re forced to make that really challenging decision between work and family, and that’s when the gap starts to widen,” Pierce said.
A further analysis by WHYY News of 2023 full-time earnings (adjusted for inflation) estimated by the U.S. Census in Philadelphia shows that, across nearly all races and ethnicities, median pay was higher for men than women. However, Asian women earned marginally more than Asian men.
For example, the full-time median pay for non-Hispanic or Latina white women in Philadelphia was $72,521 in 2023. That’s 94 cents for every $1 earned by non-Hispanic or Latino white men across the city.
By comparison, for every $1 earned by non-Hispanic or Latino white men, Asian women earned 80 cents, Black women earned 64 cents and Hispanic or Latina women earned 57 cents.
Across Pennsylvania, in 2023, the median pay for non-Hispanic or Latina white women who worked full-time was $55,440, when adjusted for inflation. That’s 74 cents for every $1 earned by non-Hispanic or Latino white men statewide. The gap widens for Asian, Black and Latina or Hispanic women on the state level to 84 cents, 63 cents and 55 cents, respectively.
Nationwide, the median pay for non-Hispanic or Latina white women who worked full-time was $57,291, compared to $71,994 for non-Hispanic or Latino white men. The same trend across race and ethnicity found at the state and city level continued at the national level.