Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

April 1981

Measuring wage dispersion: pay ranges reflect industry traits

Carl B. Barsky, Martin E. Personick

Greatest wage dispersion occurs in industries with broad occupational staffing or with much incentive pay; high-paying industries, often heavily unionized, show less variation.

Download PDF »