While the gender pay gap has shrunk over the years, women in nearly every industry in the U.S. still make less than their male counterparts. In 2022, women earned on average 82% of what men earned. And this disparity grows when you look at metrics for women of color.

So why are women earning less than men? This disparity has to do with traditional gender roles, historical differences in access to education, and sex-based discrimination in the workplace. A 2022 Pew Research survey showed that half of women surveyed cited being treated differently by employers as a key reason for the gender wage gap.