Hey, Women, Want to Earn What Male Peers Earn? Avoid These Cities

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Image Not Available

No matter where you look in the United States — or on Earth — women earn less than men for doing the same work. Although this country has made some strides in reducing its overall gender gap, when it comes to gender wage equality, we still have a long way to go.

According to 24/7 Wall St., on average, women earn just 78.8 percent of men’s pay, a depressing statistic that’s remained “basically unchanged” over the past several years.

In dollars, women are paid about $10,000 less per year, “although the gender pay gap varies considerably across the country,” 24/7 Wall St. said.

The financial publication analyzed the top 100 metropolitan areas in the United States to find the best and worst paying cities for women.

“Women in the 10 areas with the worst gender pay gaps earned less than three-quarters of the median earnings of men,” 24/7 Wall St. explained.

The best paying U.S. cities for women are:

  1. Fresno, California, metro area. Women earn just 89.6 percent of men’s wages ($35,557 vs. $39,697).
  2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California, metro area. 88.7 percent ($40,749 vs. $45,916).
  3. Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, California, metro area. 88.4 percent ($45,634 vs. $51,634).
  4. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas, metro area. 87.5 percent ($28,152 vs. $32,187).
  5. Tucson, Arizona, metro area. 86.8 percent ($36,467 vs. $41,994).

The worst paying cities for women are:

  1. Provo-Orem, Utah. 59.8 percent ($31,209 vs. $52,170).
  2. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah. 68.6 percent ($35,445 vs. $51,689).
  3. Dayton, Ohio. 70.6 percent ($35,097 vs. $49,729).
  4. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania, 71 percent ($32,017 vs. $45,081).
  5. Bakersfield, California, 71.3 percent ($31,853 vs. $44,704).

Check out the “10 Jobs With the Biggest Pay Gap Between Men and Women.”

Gender equality is about more than wages. Find out how your state ranks on gender equality.

Are you surprised at how big the gender pay gap is in cities across the United States? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.

Get smarter with your money!

Want the best money-news and tips to help you make more and spend less? Then sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter to receive daily updates of personal finance news and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletter today.