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Report: Cities with Largest Gender Pay Gaps


Although women’s participation in the workforce has increased considerably over the past 70 years, a gender pay gap still exists. On average, a woman earns 81 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Pay gaps are larger in some industries and occupations than in others. For example, women in legal occupations earn just 55 cents per dollar earned by male counterparts. And in healthcare occupations, women only earn 65 cents for each dollar earned by men. As for industry, finance and insurance has the largest pay gap, with women only earning 59 cents for each dollar earned by men.

The gender pay gap also varies greatly by location. Some states and cities have larger gaps than others. A recent study published by Self Financial reveals which metro areas have the largest gender pay gaps.

Large Metro Areas with the Biggest Gender Pay Gaps

The ten metro areas listed below have the greatest gender pay gaps for large metro areas.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (72.7%*)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $70,559
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $97,075
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Finance and insurance
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Sales and related occupations

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (74%)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $44,694
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $60,385
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Legal occupations

Salt Lake City, UT (74.7%)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $41,816
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $55,974
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Law enforcement workers including supervisors

St. Louis, MO (75%)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $44,670
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $59,521
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Finance and insurance
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Firefighting and prevention, and other protective service workers including supervisors

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (76.1%)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $57,085
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $74,999
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Management of companies and enterprises
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Legal occupations

Pittsburgh, PA (76.3%)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $45,496
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $59,601
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Management of companies and enterprises
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Legal occupations

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN (76.5%)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $42,098
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $55,064
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Management of companies and enterprises
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Legal occupations

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA (77.2%)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $42,033
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $54,415
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Information
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Legal occupations

Oklahoma City, OK (77.3%)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $39,697
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $51,370
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Firefighting and prevention, and other protective service workers including supervisors

New Orleans-Metairie, LA (78.3%)

  • Median annual earnings for full-time women: $40,361
  • Median annual earnings for full-time men: $51,549
  • Industry with the largest wage gap: Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
  • Occupation with the largest wage gap: Transportation occupations

*Women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s

Mid-Size Metro Areas with Biggest Gender Pay Gaps

  1. Provo-Orem, UT (60%*)
  2. Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX (62.3%)
  3. Ogden-Clearfield, UT (65.7%)
  4. Lafayette, LA (65.9%)
  5. Baton Rouge, LA (67.3%)
  6. Huntsville, AL (68.7%)
  7. Flint, MI (69.4%)
  8. Fort Collins, CO (71.5%)
  9. Killeen-Temple, TX (71.8%)
  10. Canton-Massillon, OH (73.4%)

*Women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s

Small Metro Areas with Biggest Gender Pay Gaps

  1. Lake Charles, LA (54.1%*)
  2. Midland, TX (57.9%)
  3. Houma-Thibodaux, LA (59.9%)
  4. San Angelo, TX (61.4%)
  5. Decatur, AL (62.8%)
  6. The Villages, FL (63%)
  7. Michigan City-La Porte, IN (63.1%)
  8. Mansfield, OH (63.3%)
  9. Lubbock, TX (64.1%)
  10. Alexandria, LA (65%)

*Women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s

Metro areas were grouped into small, midsize and large based on population:

  • Small metros: 100,000–350,000
  • Midsize metros: 350,000–1,000,000
  • Large metros: more than 1,000,000

See the full study and research methodology here: https://www.self.inc/blog/cities-with-biggest-gender-pay-gap