5 States With Biggest Gender Wage Gaps

4. Washington

Difference in Earnings: -$16,501

In Washington, racial and gender-based pay gaps intersect, with women in Washington earning approximately 64.4% of what men earned in 2021. Legislative efforts like the Paycheck Fairness Act aim to address these inequalities by promoting pay transparency and equal access to job opportunities. However, systemic issues such as employment segregation persist, emphasizing the need for comprehensive policies that address both workplace discrimination and broader societal disparities.

Apart from gender pay gaps, Washington has broader disparities in income, with the top 10% of households earning 12.6 times more than the bottom 10%. This gap has widened over the past three decades, reaching an average annual difference of over $350,000 between the highest and lowest paid workers in 2021. Women, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous workers face even greater disparities, exacerbated by the dominance of white and Asian workers in the tech industry, which shapes 20% of Washington’s economy.