Payscale Report 2025: Women Still Earn Lesser than Men

A new report from Payscale, Inc. reveals little change in the gender pay gap, with women earning just 83 cents for every dollar that men make. The report, based on input from over 369,000 U.S. workers who completed an online salary survey between January 2024 and January 2025, shows that pay transparency laws have not yet closed the gap across various industries.

The report highlights that motherhood continues to impact earnings. While fathers see a small wage boost after having children, mothers earn only 75 cents for every dollar fathers make—a figure that has not improved from last year. The gap is even wider for women of color, who earn just 64 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts.

Even advanced degrees have not shielded women from pay inequality. Women with MBAs, for instance, earn just 77 cents for every dollar earned by men with the same degree. Women holding law degrees earn 87 cents, while those with health professional doctorates see the smallest gap, earning 89 cents for every dollar men make.

Leadership and the Wage Gap

Women are not only underrepresented in leadership roles but also face a widening pay gap as they climb the corporate ladder. While 45% of white men hold management or higher positions, only 5% of white women do, with even lower percentages for women of color.

At the executive level, controlled pay data shows that women earn 93 cents for every dollar men make, a gap that widens to 72 cents when not controlling for job-related factors.

Certain sectors have more pronounced pay gaps. In legal fields, women earn just 63 cents for every dollar men make, while in farming, fishing, and management, the figures are 77 and 79 cents, respectively.

In finance and insurance, where women make up 53% of the workforce, they earn 78 cents on the dollar. Even in industries dominated by women, such as healthcare, education, and nonprofit work, pay gaps persist at 89, 91, and 88 cents respectively.

Lulu Seikaly, a senior corporate employment attorney at Payscale, commented, “It’s disappointing to still see a lack of progress towards closing the gender pay gap. Beyond being the right thing to do, ensuring fair pay without discrimination is required by law.

Pay transparency can increase trust and loyalty when employees understand their compensation trajectory.”

The report serves as a reminder that, despite ongoing efforts and new laws aimed at promoting pay transparency, significant work remains to achieve true pay equity.