• Gender pay gap statistics aren’t simple.
• The gender pay gap varies quite a bit between different occupations.
• Using census data, Business Insider analyzed which jobs tend to have larger gender pay gaps.
Gender pay gap numbers can be disheartening – but they’re not always easy to interpret.
Many statistics - like the popular "79 cents to the dollar" adage - fail to take into account women of color. What's more, the gap often varies based on location. That goes for occupations, too.
Business Insider analyzed data from the US Census Bureau's 2016 American Community Survey to find out which occupations have the largest gender wage gaps in the US.
The survey focused on the median earnings for both male and female full-time, year-round workers over the age of 16. Many of the jobs that we found to have high wage gaps are blue collar roles, where women make up a fraction of the employee pool.
Here are the jobs with the biggest gender pay gaps:
Paperhangers
Average wages for men: $51,503
Average wages for women: $30,208
Number of male workers: 1,494
Number of female workers: 636
Female paperhangers make 58.7% as much as male paperhangers.
Lifeguards and other recreational protective service workers
Average wages for men: $36,282
Average wages for women: $21,087
Number of male workers: 15,453
Number of female workers: 8,895
Female lifeguards and other recreational protective service workers make 58.1% as much as male lifeguards and other recreational protective service workers.
Financial clerks
Average wages for men: $80,037
Average wages for women: $45,021
Number of male workers: 47,844
Number of female workers: 54,806
Female financial clerks make 56.3% as much as male financial clerks.
Metal and plastic drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders
Average wages for men: $46,574
Average wages for women: $25,953
Number of male workers: 3,563
Number of female workers: 694
Female drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders make 55.7% as much as male drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders.
Industrial and utility electrical and electronics repairers
Average wages for men: $62,348
Average wages for women: $34,616
Number of male workers: 11,189
Number of female workers: 453
Female industrial and utility electrical and electronics repairers make 55.5% as much as male industrial and utility electrical and electronics repairers
Hazardous materials removal workers
Average wages for men: $40,524
Average wages for women: $22,296
Number of male workers: 19,634
Number of female workers: 4,013
Female hazardous materials removal workers make 55.0% as much as male hazardous materials removal workers.
Miscellaneous mathematical science professionals
Average wages for men: $85,022
Average wages for women: $46,676
Number of male workers: 1,616
Number of female workers: 1,425
Female miscellaneous mathematical science professionals make 54.9% as much as male miscellaneous mathematical science professionals
Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders
Average wages for men: $36,218
Average wages for women: $19,670
Number of male workers: 3,859
Number of female workers: 2,906
Female adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders make 54.3% as much as male adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders.
Automotive body and related repairers
Average wages for men: $40,984
Average wages for women: $21,989
Number of male workers: 117,442
Number of female workers: 2,112
Female automotive body repairers make 53.7% as much as male automotive body repairers.
Metal and plastic heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders
Average wages for men: $45,883
Average wages for women: $24,395
Number of male workers: 6,135
Number of female workers: 339
Female heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders make 53.3% as much as male heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders.
Home appliance repairers
Average wages for men: $39,861
Average wages for women: $21,141
Number of male workers: 27,938
Number of female workers: 1,332
Female home appliance repairers make 53.0% as much as male home appliance repairers.
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
Average wages for men: $115,432
Average wages for women: $58,726
Number of male workers: 142,840
Number of female workers: 56,699
Female securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents make 50.9% as much as male securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents.
Elevator installers and repairers
Average wages for men: $85,281
Average wages for women: $41,783
Number of male workers: 22,119
Number of female workers: 455
Female elevator installers and repairers make 49.0% as much as male machine elevator installers and repairers
Extraction workers
Average wages for men: $55,503
Average wages for women: $26,987
Number of male workers: 36,346
Number of female workers: 1,293
Female extraction workers make 48.6% as much as male extraction workers.
Dancers and choreographers
Average wages for men: $51,586
Average wages for women: $24,844
Number of male workers: 1,468
Number of female workers: 5,088
Female dancers and choreographers make 48.2% as much as male dancers and choreographers.
Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers
Average wages for men: $46,449
Average wages for women: $21,283
Number of male workers: 18,438
Number of female workers: 881
Female electric motor, power tool, and related repairers make 45.8% as much as male electric motor, power tool, and related repairers.
Motion picture projectionists
Average wages for men: $49,900
Average wages for women: $21,932
Number of male workers: 1,065
Number of female workers: 238
Female motion picture projectionists make 44.0% as much as male motion picture projectionists.
Septic tank service workers and sewer pipe cleaners
Average wages for men: $41,925
Average wages for women: $16,726
Number of male workers: 8,970
Number of female workers: 174
Female septic tank service workers and sewer pipe cleaners make 39.9% as much as male septic tank service workers and sewer pipe cleaners.
Metal and plastic milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders
Average wages for men: $43,523
Average wages for women: $11,674
Number of male workers: 1,510
Number of female workers: 288
Female milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders make 26.8% as much as male milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders.
Have you experienced pay inequality in the workplace? Email [email protected].