New study finds Illinois among worst states for pay gaps between men and women
A new study found Illinois to be among the worst in the country when it comes to pay gaps between genders.
Here's what you need to know.
Methodology
The study done by QRFY with JournoResearch, a digital PR agency which converts data into studies, looked at U.S. census data across every state and found the average of full-time earnings for both genders to determine the gap in pay. The study released first in May takes figures from the 2022 census coverage.
The data for women’s earnings was subtracted from the men’s annual earning per state and turned into a percentage difference for the study.
The data did not focus on the same job and range of pay between genders, and instead covers every job field both genders participate in; underrepresentation of women in management and C-suite executive levels is still a common issue in the workforce, contributing to the gap in earnings.
Findings nationwide
Every state across America was found to have a gender wage gap, with men being paid more than women. Across all states, the average man’s wage as a full-time worker was $61,661.60, compared to the average yearly wage for a full-time working woman of $50,314.66.
How does Illinois rank?
Out of 50 states not including U.S. territories and Washington, D.C., Illinois ranked 14th worst. Here’s the breakdown:
Men in Illinois with full-time positions on average made $65,710, while women with full-time positions made $53,150.
The difference in payroll is a whopping $12,560, or 12.13% of the man’s overall paycheck being omitted from women’s checks.
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The Illinois Equal Pay Act
Illinois has a bill going into effect January of next year, House Bill 3129, meant to target the pay gap through employer transparency of salary.
In August of last year, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an amendment to the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003, which will require certain Illinois employers to include the pay scale and benefits information for any job posted after the first of January.
The bill defines pay scale as the range the employer reasonably expects to offer in good faith.
Employers with over 15 employees are subject to the passed bill, which can help reach pay equity for both genders in Illinois.
States with largest pay gap
New Hampshire: $18,044
Utah: $27,528
North Dakota: $14,082
Virginia: $14,053
Louisiana: $14,048
States with smallest pay gap
Vermont: $6,450
Nevada: $7,130
California: $7,496
Arizona: $7,502
New Mexico: $7,733
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for the State Journal-Register. She can be reached at [email protected]; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Study: Illinois among worst states for pay gaps between men and women