Personal Finance
Written by Lauren Lyons Cole and Andy Kiersz; edited by Libby Kane
2017-08-08T12:49:00Z
Across the US, the average income for the top 2% of all earners is $206,000.
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But among women in the top 2%, the average salary is $145,000, compared to $371,000 for men, according to an analysis of the 2015 American Community Survey by labor economics research firm Job Search Intelligence (JSI).
That means the average woman in the top 2% makes just 39 cents for every dollar a man makes. Overall, women earn an average of 79 cents for every dollar a man makes in the US, according to a 2016 report published by the Joint Economic Committee Democratic Staff.
While striking, the pay gap at the top isn't likely a matter of women being paid significantly less than their male counterparts, but rather that women are underrepresented at the highest levels of management.
In fact, in some states, so few women make it into the top 1% — which requires an average annual salary of $389,436 or more, based on calculations by the Economic Policy Institute — that, to protect anonymity, salary data is not reported by gender, according to JSI. That's why we're comparing earnings among the top 2%, instead of the more standard top 1% of earners.
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Below, see the average income for the top earners in every US state — listed from the smallest gender wage gap to the largest — as well as the average income for women and men in the top 2% of all earners.
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Alaska: Women earn $50,000 less.
Alaska
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $185,000
A man in the top 2%: $200,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
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North Dakota: Women earn $70,000 less.
North Dakota
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $170,000
A woman in the top 2%: $100,000
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Indiana: Women earn $80,000 less.
Indiana
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $170,000
A man in the top 2%: $200,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
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Wisconsin: Women earn $81,000 less.
Wisconsin
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $211,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
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Iowa: Women earn $83,000 less.
Iowa
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $193,000
A woman in the top 2%: $110,000
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Kansas: Women earn $85,000 less.
Kansas
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $175,000
A man in the top 2%: $215,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
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South Dakota: Women earn $85,000 less.
South Dakota
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $186,000
A woman in the top 2%: $101,000
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Vermont: Women earn $88,000 less.
Vermont
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $176,000
A man in the top 2%: $215,000
A woman in the top 2%: $127,000
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Minnesota: Women earn $100,000 less.
Minnesota
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $250,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
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Colorado: Women earn $104,000 less.
Colorado
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $225,000
A man in the top 2%: $264,000
A woman in the top 2%: $160,000
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West Virginia: Women earn $163,000 less.
West Virginia
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $160,000
A man in the top 2%: $283,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
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New Mexico: Women earn $179,000 less.
New Mexico
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $158,000
A man in the top 2%: $304,000
A woman in the top 2%: $125,000
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Mississippi: Women earn $183,000 less.
Mississippi
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $290,000
A woman in the top 2%: $107,000
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Maine: Women earn $199,000 less.
Maine
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $324,000
A woman in the top 2%: $125,000
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Alabama: Women earn $209,000 less.
Alabama
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $175,000
A man in the top 2%: $333,000
A woman in the top 2%: $124,000
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Idaho: Women earn $210,000 less.
Idaho
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $316,000
A woman in the top 2%: $106,000
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Hawaii: Women earn $211,000 less.
Hawaii
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $351,000
A woman in the top 2%: $140,000
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Arkansas: Women earn $216,000 less.
Arkansas
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $336,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
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South Carolina: Women earn $217,000 less.
South Carolina
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $185,000
A man in the top 2%: $347,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
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Louisiana: Women earn $221,000 less.
Louisiana
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $346,000
A woman in the top 2%: $125,000
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Arizona: Women earn $227,000 less.
Arizona
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $367,000
A woman in the top 2%: $140,000
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Nevada: Women earn $227,000 less.
Nevada
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $357,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
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Oregon: Women earn $228,000 less.
Oregon
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $198,000
A man in the top 2%: $378,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
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Utah: Women earn $228,000 less.
Utah
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $362,000
A woman in the top 2%: $134,000
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Montana: Women earn $229,000 less.
Montana
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $185,000
A man in the top 2%: $354,000
A woman in the top 2%: $125,000
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Kentucky: Women earn $231,000 less.
Kentucky
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $190,000
A man in the top 2%: $358,000
A woman in the top 2%: $127,000
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Rhode Island: Women earn $233,000 less.
Rhode Island
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $225,000
A man in the top 2%: $383,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
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Michigan: Women earn $242,000 less.
Michigan
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $194,000
A man in the top 2%: $382,000
A woman in the top 2%: $140,000
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New Hampshire: Women earn $244,000 less.
New Hampshire
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $220,000
A man in the top 2%: $404,000
A woman in the top 2%: $160,000
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Delaware: Women earn $253,000 less.
Delaware
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $403,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
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Oklahoma: Women earn $255,000 less.
Oklahoma
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $375,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
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Tennessee: Women earn $255,000 less.
Tennessee
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $390,000
A woman in the top 2%: $135,000
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Missouri: Women earn $257,000 less.
Missouri
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $190,000
A man in the top 2%: $387,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
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Ohio: Women earn $257,000 less.
Ohio
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $196,000
A man in the top 2%: $392,000
A woman in the top 2%: $135,000
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Pennsylvania: Women earn $260,000 less.
Pennsylvania
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $408,000
A woman in the top 2%: $148,000
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Nebraska: Women earn $264,000 less.
Nebraska
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $175,000
A man in the top 2%: $384,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
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North Carolina: Women earn $266,000 less.
North Carolina
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $416,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
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Washington: Women earn $268,000 less.
Washington
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $240,000
A man in the top 2%: $440,000
A woman in the top 2%: $172,000
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Georgia: Women earn $269,000 less.
Georgia
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $217,000
A man in the top 2%: $419,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
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Florida: Women earn $279,000 less.
Florida
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $220,000
A man in the top 2%: $429,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
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California: Women earn $283,000 less.
California
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $250,000
A man in the top 2%: $483,000
A woman in the top 2%: $200,000
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Virginia: Women earn $288,000 less.
Virginia
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $233,000
A man in the top 2%: $460,000
A woman in the top 2%: $172,000
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Texas: Women earn $295,000 less.
Texas
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $250,000
A man in the top 2%: $451,000
A woman in the top 2%: $156,000
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Maryland: Women earn $296,000 less.
Maryland
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $250,000
A man in the top 2%: $482,000
A woman in the top 2%: $186,000
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Wyoming: Women earn $305,000 less.
Wyoming
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $170,000
A man in the top 2%: $425,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
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Illinois: Women earn $335,000 less.
Illinois
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $245,000
A man in the top 2%: $505,000
A woman in the top 2%: $170,000
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Massachusetts: Women earn $351,000 less.
Massachusetts
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $300,000
A man in the top 2%: $551,000
A woman in the top 2%: $200,000
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New Jersey: Women earn $355,000 less.
New Jersey
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $300,000
A man in the top 2%: $555,000
A woman in the top 2%: $200,000
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Washington, D.C.: Women earn $357,000 less.
Washington, D.C.
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $379,000
A man in the top 2%: $637,000
A woman in the top 2%: $280,000
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New York: Women earn $413,000 less.
New York
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $280,000
A man in the top 2%: $613,000
A woman in the top 2%: $200,000
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Connecticut: Women earn $444,000 less.
Connecticut
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $360,000
A man in the top 2%: $658,000
A woman in the top 2%: $214,000
Lauren Lyons Cole was director of personal finance at Business Insider. She is also a certified financial planner. She previously led the team that developed and launched Business Insider's first daily news show, Business Insider Today. It became the top performing FacebookWatch daily show within its first month, ahead of competitors such as CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Fox News, and ABC. Lauren originally joined Business Insider in 2017 to oversee the site's personal finance coverage. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Quantitative Editor
Andy is a quantitative editor at Business Insider. He studied mathematics at the University of Chicago and Purdue University.
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I'm an expert in personal finance, with a deep understanding of economic trends and income disparities. My expertise is grounded in extensive research and analysis of various economic indicators, including salary data, wage gaps, and income distribution. As an enthusiast dedicated to promoting financial literacy, I aim to shed light on the complexities of personal finance and economic dynamics.
The article you provided, written by Lauren Lyons Cole and Andy Kiersz, delves into the gender wage gap among the top 2% of earners in the United States. The authors analyze data from the 2015 American Community Survey, conducted by the labor economics research firm Job Search Intelligence (JSI). The key findings highlight the significant income disparity between men and women in the top 2%, with women earning considerably less on average.
The overarching observation is that the pay gap at the highest income levels is not attributed to women being paid less for the same work but is rather a result of underrepresentation of women in top management positions. The article emphasizes that the low representation of women in the top 1% of earners, where salary data is often anonymized due to the scarcity of female earners, necessitated the comparison within the top 2%.
The analysis further breaks down the gender wage gap across various states, presenting the average income for the top 2% of earners, as well as the specific earnings for men and women in that category. The disparities are evident, with women consistently earning less than their male counterparts in each state, with variations ranging from $50,000 to $444,000.
The article provides a state-by-state breakdown of the gender wage gap within the top 2%, revealing specific income gaps for each region. Notably, the authors suggest that the disparities are not merely reflective of salary discrepancies but are indicative of broader issues related to gender representation at the highest echelons of income.
This analysis serves as a valuable contribution to the ongoing discourse on gender wage gaps, offering a nuanced perspective by focusing on the top income percentiles and emphasizing the importance of addressing gender imbalances in leadership roles.
