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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.)
Chart 1. Women's earnings as a percentage of men's, full-time wage and salary workers, the United States and North Carolina, 2012–22 annual averages
Year
North Carolina
United States
2012
80.9
80.9
2013
82.7
82.1
2014
86.1
82.5
2015
85.8
81.1
2016
84.2
81.9
2017
86.3
81.8
2018
83.5
81.1
2019
83.7
81.5
2020
81.1
82.3
2021
84.2
83.1
2022
85.7
83.0
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.
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
State
Total
Women
Men
Women’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
$3
53,315
$958
$3
65,554
$1,154
$3
83.0
Alabama
1,808
935
16
808
837
20
1,000
1,049
32
79.8
Alaska
251
1,131
20
106
1,007
32
145
1,217
23
82.7
Arizona
2,582
1,071
18
1,113
938
24
1,470
1,173
23
80.0
Arkansas
1,036
889
13
485
822
19
551
954
29
86.2
California
13,562
1,159
9
5,803
1,062
18
7,758
1,223
14
86.8
Colorado
2,226
1,240
16
960
1,142
19
1,265
1,312
26
87.0
Connecticut
1,360
1,260
44
617
1,130
41
743
1,399
30
80.8
Delaware
367
996
12
178
972
21
189
1,018
20
95.5
District of Columbia
300
1,740
18
155
1,626
52
145
1,876
32
86.7
Florida
7,938
952
9
3,695
861
9
4,243
1,022
12
84.2
Georgia
3,924
986
12
1,816
891
20
2,109
1,087
27
82.0
Hawaii
473
1,038
25
209
963
20
265
1,136
33
84.8
Idaho
664
975
15
277
851
17
387
1,085
27
78.4
Illinois
4,660
1,136
13
2,164
1,014
14
2,496
1,262
26
80.3
Indiana
2,549
996
17
1,121
861
16
1,427
1,109
25
77.6
Iowa
1,228
972
20
546
883
18
681
1,066
25
82.8
Kansas
1,095
1,007
13
480
920
20
614
1,079
33
85.3
Kentucky
1,495
945
14
668
860
19
827
1,018
27
84.5
Louisiana
1,552
926
18
743
822
21
809
1,064
37
77.3
Maine
427
1,019
17
206
936
23
222
1,093
39
85.6
Maryland
2,429
1,240
19
1,123
1,165
19
1,306
1,345
70
86.6
Massachusetts
2,590
1,353
26
1,186
1,247
24
1,403
1,454
25
85.8
Michigan
3,391
1,109
16
1,450
987
17
1,941
1,197
25
82.5
Minnesota
2,159
1,156
15
964
1,101
39
1,195
1,210
37
91.0
Mississippi
969
818
17
479
751
16
491
906
18
82.9
Missouri
2,235
986
24
996
882
22
1,238
1,110
39
79.5
Montana
364
979
15
163
884
17
201
1,082
23
81.7
Nebraska
771
1,006
15
350
937
22
422
1,068
27
87.7
Nevada
1,085
903
12
481
811
13
604
1,013
18
80.1
New Hampshire
559
1,207
29
246
1,019
23
313
1,351
24
75.4
New Jersey
3,511
1,187
19
1,546
1,072
30
1,964
1,284
39
83.5
New Mexico
669
951
15
296
855
27
373
1,023
35
83.6
New York
6,761
1,151
8
3,114
1,072
19
3,647
1,239
17
86.5
North Carolina
3,762
976
13
1,760
902
15
2,002
1,053
32
85.7
North Dakota
311
1,005
13
138
900
12
174
1,140
21
78.9
Ohio
4,008
1,005
11
1,796
902
11
2,212
1,103
16
81.8
Oklahoma
1,364
863
18
641
769
14
723
952
24
80.8
Oregon
1,494
1,143
16
663
1,074
30
831
1,204
33
89.2
Pennsylvania
4,701
1,095
14
2,157
981
16
2,545
1,195
20
82.1
Rhode Island
412
1,140
24
186
1,138
30
225
1,142
36
99.6
South Carolina
1,729
929
18
822
841
22
907
1,016
27
82.8
South Dakota
338
990
15
153
886
22
185
1,076
26
82.3
Tennessee
2,510
956
16
1,128
859
20
1,382
1,047
34
82.0
Texas
10,690
1,014
9
4,665
916
10
6,025
1,103
14
83.0
Utah
1,227
1,054
16
470
884
15
757
1,210
25
73.1
Vermont
225
1,129
20
107
1,007
31
117
1,214
33
82.9
Virginia
3,356
1,159
16
1,599
1,054
30
1,757
1,324
48
79.6
Washington
2,870
1,197
23
1,201
1,097
34
1,669
1,279
33
85.8
West Virginia
596
937
15
270
828
19
325
1,065
40
77.7
Wisconsin
2,088
1,077
21
930
940
24
1,158
1,169
24
80.4
Wyoming
199
1,023
17
83
869
24
116
1,150
24
75.6
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.
United States Department of Labor
