Gender Pay Gap by Education Level (2026 stats)

Last updated: April 29, 2026 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau

TL;DR

The gender pay gap persists across all education levels, with women earning less than men at every degree level. Women with bachelor's degrees earn $65,000 compared to $80,000 for men—a gap of $15,000 (19% lower). The gap is largest at the doctoral/professional degree level, where women earn $105,000 compared to $135,000 for men—a gap of $30,000 (22% lower). The pay gap narrows but does not disappear with higher education, highlighting the need for policies addressing occupational segregation, work-life balance, and workplace discrimination.

Key Facts

  • Overall gap: Women earn 82 cents for every dollar men earn (18% pay gap)
  • By education level: Pay gap ranges from 17% (high school) to 22% (doctoral/professional)
  • Bachelor's degree: Women earn $65,000 vs $80,000 for men (19% gap, $15,000 difference)
  • Master's degree: Women earn $78,000 vs $95,000 for men (18% gap, $17,000 difference)
  • Doctoral/Professional: Women earn $105,000 vs $135,000 for men (22% gap, $30,000 difference)
  • High school only: Women earn $35,000 vs $42,000 for men (17% gap, $7,000 difference)

Overall Gender Pay Gap

Insight: Women earn 82 cents for every dollar men earn, representing an 18% pay gap across all education levels and occupations.
Evidence: The median annual earnings for women working full-time, year-round is $52,000, compared to $63,500 for men—a gap of $11,500 or 18%. This gap exists even when controlling for education, experience, and occupation, though it varies significantly across different fields and education levels.
Why it matters: The gender pay gap has economic implications for women, families, and the economy as a whole. Closing the gap would increase women's lifetime earnings by hundreds of thousands of dollars and contribute to greater economic security and retirement savings.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), 2024. Data reflects full-time, year-round workers aged 25 and older. Earnings in 2023 dollars.

Gender Pay Gap by Education Level

Insight: The gender pay gap exists at every education level, and actually widens at the highest education levels (doctoral/professional degrees).
Evidence: The pay gap ranges from 17% (high school only) to 22% (doctoral/professional degrees). At the bachelor's level, women earn $65,000 vs $80,000 for men (19% gap). At the doctoral/professional level, women earn $105,000 vs $135,000 for men (22% gap, $30,000 difference). This suggests that higher education does not eliminate the gender pay gap and may even exacerbate it in some fields.
Why it matters: The widening gap at higher education levels may reflect factors such as occupational segregation (women in lower-paying fields), work-life balance choices, negotiation differences, and discrimination in high-earning professions like medicine, law, and business.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), 2024. Data reflects full-time, year-round workers aged 25 and older. Earnings in 2023 dollars.

Median Earnings Comparison: Men vs Women by Education Level

Insight: While both men and women benefit from higher education, the absolute dollar gap between men's and women's earnings increases with education level.
Evidence: The absolute earnings gap grows from $7,000 at the high school level (women: $35,000, men: $42,000) to $30,000 at the doctoral/professional level (women: $105,000, men: $135,000). However, the percentage gap remains relatively stable (17-22%), suggesting that higher education benefits both genders proportionally but does not close the gap.
Why it matters: The increasing absolute gap means that women with advanced degrees lose out on significant lifetime earnings compared to their male counterparts. Over a 40-year career, the $30,000 annual gap at the doctoral/professional level translates to $1.2 million in lost earnings for women.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), 2024. Data reflects full-time, year-round workers aged 25 and older. Earnings in 2023 dollars.

Gender Pay Gap by Education Level: Detailed Data

Education Level Women's Median Earnings Men's Median Earnings Absolute Gap ($) Percentage Gap (%) Women's Earnings as % of Men's
Less than High School $28,000 $34,000 $6,000 18% 82%
High School Diploma $35,000 $42,000 $7,000 17% 83%
Some College, No Degree $40,000 $48,000 $8,000 17% 83%
Associate's Degree $45,000 $55,000 $10,000 18% 82%
Bachelor's Degree $65,000 $80,000 $15,000 19% 81%
Master's Degree $78,000 $95,000 $17,000 18% 82%
Professional Degree $98,000 $128,000 $30,000 23% 77%
Doctoral Degree $105,000 $135,000 $30,000 22% 78%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), 2024. Data reflects full-time, year-round workers aged 25 and older. Earnings in 2023 dollars.

Methodology

This analysis uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS), specifically the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), which provides detailed data on earnings and educational attainment.

Data Source

  • Current Population Survey (CPS): Monthly survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, providing comprehensive data on employment, earnings, and demographics
  • Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC): The March supplement includes detailed questions about earnings, income, and educational attainment
  • Data Year: 2024 (reflecting 2023 earnings data)

Definitions

  • Gender Pay Gap: The difference between median earnings for men and women, typically expressed as a percentage (women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings) or as an absolute dollar difference
  • Full-Time, Year-Round Workers: Workers who worked 35 or more hours per week for 50 or more weeks during the year
  • Median Earnings: The midpoint of the earnings distribution, where half of workers earn more and half earn less

Population Scope

  • Age Range: Workers aged 25 and older (to capture workers who have completed their education)
  • Employment Status: Full-time, year-round workers only
  • Geographic Coverage: United States, including all 50 states and the District of Columbia

Limitations

  • These statistics reflect unadjusted pay gaps that do not control for factors such as occupation, industry, experience, hours worked, or job characteristics
  • The pay gap may be influenced by occupational segregation (men and women working in different fields), work-life balance choices, and other factors beyond direct discrimination
  • Part-time workers and those not working year-round are excluded, which may understate the economic impact of the pay gap on women who work part-time or take time off for caregiving
  • Earnings data is self-reported and may be subject to reporting errors

Analysis & insights

This treatment of gender pay gap by education level pulls from EDsmart files and the sources on the page; the charts summarize those records, not future outcomes. National aggregates flatten real variation—Ohio, Georgia, and Washington can look like different worlds. Skewed distributions split the median and the mean into different stories. Program, year, and campus still matter more than any single national line.

The tables show who holds which credentials by age, sex, race, and state where the source allows. States with older populations can show higher bachelor’s-or-better shares for reasons unrelated to current freshman classes. Pay gaps by education level also follow occupation and field, not only years in school. First-generation and adult-student rates track who enrolls and what support is available. The portrait is descriptive; it does not single out one policy driver.

FAQ

Earnings & return on investment

What do earnings statistics after graduation usually measure?

Federal releases often report median earnings for employed graduates several years out, by field of study or credential. They generally exclude students who never completed or who are not in the wage records linked to the cohort.

How is debt-to-earnings thought about responsibly?

Ratios compare borrowing levels to early-career earnings proxies. They illuminate pressure points but ignore regional cost of living, graduate school plans, and non-wage benefits—use as context, not rankings of worth.

Why do ROI rankings move year to year?

Earnings data ages into new tax years, debt cohorts roll forward, and institutions enter or leave reporting universes. Small sample programs also bounce more than large majors.

Do higher earnings always mean a better program fit?

No—students prioritize stability, mission, geography, and licensure paths. Earnings medians describe central tendencies, not guarantees for any individual.

Where should readers verify program-level outcomes?

College Scorecard field-of-study tabs, state longitudinal data where available, and institution disclosures under gainful-employment rules (where applicable).

Using this page

What does this page cover on “Gender Pay Gap by Education Level”?

This page summarizes Gender Pay Gap by Education Level using EDsmart’s processed tables and charts. It is a data-driven overview—always confirm mission-critical figures in the original agency release.

Which sources power the numbers here?

Figures draw on U.S. Census Bureau - Current Population Survey (CPS), and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Use Data Sources for exact tables, APIs, and methodology notes.

Why might these figures differ from another chart or headline?

If another outlet shows a different total, check whether the cohort (all borrowers vs undergraduates only), academic year, and data source match. Mixing definitions is the most common reason charts appear to conflict.

How often is this page updated?

We refresh when upstream federal releases change and the site rebuild ships new CSV/JSON extracts. The Last updated line points to the latest editorial pass on this HTML.

Data Sources
  • U.S. Census Bureau - Current Population Survey (CPS)
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
    • Additional earnings and employment statistics
    • Source: bls.gov