American women earn more than their male partners in about 40% of US households. This is most common in low-income households and gets less common as a household's income increases: 70% of women in households in the lowest 20% of incomes out-earn their male partners, while about 50% do in middle-income households and only about 34% do in high-income households. Despite this, studies show that women, on average, earn $0.77 US Dollars (USD) to every dollar men earn.
More about women and earnings:
- Women who are the primary breadwinners in their family report being less pessimistic about the economy than men in the same position.
- The majority of women work in education, health, trade, transportation, utilities, or local government. The industries with the fewest women include mining, logging, construction, and federal-level government.
- Women who earn more than their male partners are much more likely to keep separate bank accounts than those who earn less.
WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable
sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about
our
commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.