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News Release Information

24-245-ATL
Friday, February 09, 2024

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Women’s Earnings in North Carolina — 2022

In 2022, North Carolina women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $902, or 85.7 percent of the $1,053 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the 2022 women’s median weekly earnings of $902 were higher than $803 in 2021. Nationwide, women earned $958 per week, or 83.0 percent of men’s earnings ($1,154). (See chart 1 and table 1.) The earnings comparisons in this release are on a broad level and do not control for many factors that can be important in explaining earnings differences, such as job skills and responsibilities, work experience, and specialization.

In North Carolina, the women’s-to-men’s earnings ratio has ranged from a low of 75.6 percent in 1999 to a high of 88.4 percent in 2009. The state’s ratio has remained above 80 percent since 2003. (Data for the states began in 1997.)


Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, median weekly earnings of women in full-time wage and salary positions in 2022 ranged from $751 in Mississippi to $1,626 in the District of Columbia. Women’s earnings in 12 states and the District of Columbia exceeded $1,050 per week. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Women's median usual weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary workers by state, 2022 annual averages

(U.S. average = $958)

 

Median weekly earnings for men were lowest in Mississippi at $906 and highest in the District of Columbia at $1,876. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia had weekly wages above $1,050 for full-time male workers.

Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Rhode Island had the highest women’s-to-men’s earnings ratio, 99.6 percent. Utah had the lowest earnings ratio, 73.1 percent. (See map 2.) The differences among the states reflect, in part, variation in the occupations and industries found in each state and differences in the demographic composition of each state’s labor force. In addition, sampling error for state estimates is considerably larger than it is for the national estimates. Consequently, earnings comparisons between states should be made with caution.

Map 2. Women's earnings as a percentage of men's for full-time wage and salary workers by state, 2022 annual averages

(U.S. average = 83.0%)

 

Technical Note

The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census Bureau using a scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 eligible households representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey data on earnings are based on one-fourth of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wage and salary workers. All self-employed workers, both incorporated and unincorporated, are excluded from the data presented in this release.

Readers should be aware that, because of sampling error, apparent differences between estimates for two or more groups or categories may not be statistically significant, and therefore not meaningfully different from one another. Standard errors are shown with many of the median earnings estimates in this report to help readers evaluate differences in earnings estimates.

For more information on the median weekly earnings of women and men, see Bureau of Labor Statistics Report 1108, Highlights of women’s earnings in 2022 and Technical Notes.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202)-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by state, 2022 annual averages
StateTotalWomenMenWomen’s
earnings as a
percentage
of men’s
Number of
workers
(in thou-
sands)
Median
weekly
earnings
Standard
error of
median
Number of
workers
(in thou-
sands)
Median
weekly
earnings
Standard
error of
median
Number of
workers
(in thou-
sands)
Median
weekly
earnings
Standard
error of
median

United States

118,869$1,059$353,315$958$365,554$1,154$383.0

Alabama

1,80893516808837201,0001,0493279.8

Alaska

2511,131201061,007321451,2172382.7

Arizona

2,5821,071181,113938241,4701,1732380.0

Arkansas

1,03688913485822195519542986.2

California

13,5621,15995,8031,062187,7581,2231486.8

Colorado

2,2261,240169601,142191,2651,3122687.0

Connecticut

1,3601,260446171,130417431,3993080.8

Delaware

36799612178972211891,0182095.5

District of Columbia

3001,740181551,626521451,8763286.7

Florida

7,93895293,69586194,2431,0221284.2

Georgia

3,924986121,816891202,1091,0872782.0

Hawaii

4731,03825209963202651,1363384.8

Idaho

66497515277851173871,0852778.4

Illinois

4,6601,136132,1641,014142,4961,2622680.3

Indiana

2,549996171,121861161,4271,1092577.6

Iowa

1,22897220546883186811,0662582.8

Kansas

1,0951,00713480920206141,0793385.3

Kentucky

1,49594514668860198271,0182784.5

Louisiana

1,55292618743822218091,0643777.3

Maine

4271,01917206936232221,0933985.6

Maryland

2,4291,240191,1231,165191,3061,3457086.6

Massachusetts

2,5901,353261,1861,247241,4031,4542585.8

Michigan

3,3911,109161,450987171,9411,1972582.5

Minnesota

2,1591,156159641,101391,1951,2103791.0

Mississippi

96981817479751164919061882.9

Missouri

2,23598624996882221,2381,1103979.5

Montana

36497915163884172011,0822381.7

Nebraska

7711,00615350937224221,0682787.7

Nevada

1,08590312481811136041,0131880.1

New Hampshire

5591,207292461,019233131,3512475.4

New Jersey

3,5111,187191,5461,072301,9641,2843983.5

New Mexico

66995115296855273731,0233583.6

New York

6,7611,15183,1141,072193,6471,2391786.5

North Carolina

3,762976131,760902152,0021,0533285.7

North Dakota

3111,00513138900121741,1402178.9

Ohio

4,0081,005111,796902112,2121,1031681.8

Oklahoma

1,36486318641769147239522480.8

Oregon

1,4941,143166631,074308311,2043389.2

Pennsylvania

4,7011,095142,157981162,5451,1952082.1

Rhode Island

4121,140241861,138302251,1423699.6

South Carolina

1,72992918822841229071,0162782.8

South Dakota

33899015153886221851,0762682.3

Tennessee

2,510956161,128859201,3821,0473482.0

Texas

10,6901,01494,665916106,0251,1031483.0

Utah

1,2271,05416470884157571,2102573.1

Vermont

2251,129201071,007311171,2143382.9

Virginia

3,3561,159161,5991,054301,7571,3244879.6

Washington

2,8701,197231,2011,097341,6691,2793385.8

West Virginia

59693715270828193251,0654077.7

Wisconsin

2,0881,07721930940241,1581,1692480.4

Wyoming

1991,0231783869241161,1502475.6

Note: In general, the sampling error for the state estimates is considerably larger than it is for the national estimates; thus, comparisons of state estimates should be made with caution. Data shown are based on workers' state of residence; workers' reported earnings, however, may or may not be from a job located in the same state.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, February 09, 2024