Women's Earnings Still Lag Despite Gains in Education, Job Status

Even though women are more likely to have a college education and white-collar job, they still typically earn less than their male peers.

These findings are especially pertinent to the pharmacy field, as more and more women are entering the profession.

The researchers behind this study compared census data from 1980 with the 2003-2007 population survey for a total study group of more than 180,000 individuals.

In the 1980s, men—whether they were white, Latino, or Asian—were more likely to have a bachelor’s degree, a white-collar job, and higher pay than women.

Starting in 2005, however, the researchers found that the second generation of women attained greater status than their mothers and their male counterparts.

“Women have increased their mobility across generations better than men have,” said study author Stephanie Nawyn, a Michigan State University sociologist, in a press release. “In this sense, there has been a gender revolution.”

The only thing that did not flip by 2005 was greater pay for women. Despite their gains, women made an average of $39,472 annually in 2005, while men earned an average of $50,900.

The researchers also discovered that the pay gap was most prominent between white men and women ($14,204) and least prominent among Latino men and women ($7985).

These findings were published in the October issue of Demographics.