The gender wage gap indicator compares the median earnings between male and female workers in Champaign County.

Two worker populations are analyzed: all workers, including part-time and seasonal workers and those that were not employed for the full survey year; and full-time, year-round workers. The gender wage gap is included because it blends economics and equity, and illustrates that a major economic talking point on the national level is just as relevant at the local scale.

For all four populations (male full-time, year-round workers; female full-time, year-round workers; all male workers; and all female workers), the estimated median earnings were higher in 2023 than in 2005. The greatest increase in a population’s estimated median earnings between 2005 and 2023 was for female full-time, year-round workers; the smallest increase between 2005 and 2023 was for all female workers. In both categories (all and full-time, year-round), the estimated median annual earnings for male workers was consistently higher than for female workers.

The gender gap between the two estimates in 2023 was larger for full-time, year-round workers than all workers. For full-time, year-round workers, the difference was $11,863; for all workers, it was approaching $9,700.

The Associated Press wrote this article in October 2024 about how Census Bureau data shows that in 2023 in the United States, the gender wage gap between men and women working full-time widened year-over-year for the first time in 20 years.

Income data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates, which are released annually.

As with any datasets that are estimates rather than exact counts, it is important to take into account the margins of error (listed in the column beside each figure) when drawing conclusions from the data.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of providing the standard 1-year data products, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates from the 1-year data in 2020. This includes a limited number of data tables for the nation, states, and the District of Columbia. The Census Bureau states that the 2020 ACS 1-year experimental tables use an experimental estimation methodology and should not be compared with other ACS data. For these reasons, and because data is not available for Champaign County, no data for 2020 is included in this Indicator.

For interested data users, the 2020 ACS 1-Year Experimental data release includes a dataset on Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2020 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) by Sex by Work Experience in the Past 12 Months for the Population 16 Years and Over with Earnings in the Past 12 Months.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (16 October 2024).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (20 October 2023).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (21 September 2022).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (7 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2018 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (7 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2006 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).

In 2021, female employee earnings were outpaced by male earnings across nearly all industries, with sharp disparities in the professional and technical services industry, as well as the finance and insurance industry. In that year, there were no industries in which women earned more than men.

The statistic shows the female to male earnings ratio in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2022, based on the median income in current U.S. dollars, by age group. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the earnings ratio of female to male workers aged between 16 to 24 years was at about 92.9 percent.

The difference between the earnings of women and men shrank slightly over the past years. Considering the controlled gender pay gap, which measures the median salary for men and women with the same job and qualifications, women earned one U.S. cent less. By comparison, the uncontrolled gender pay gap measures the median salary for all men and all women across all sectors and industries and regardless of location and qualification. In 2025, the uncontrolled gender pay gap in the world stood at 0.83, meaning that women earned 0.83 dollars for every dollar earned by men.

The global gender gap index benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, education, and health-based criteria. In 2025, the country offering the most gender equal conditions was Iceland, with a score of 0.93. Overall, the Nordic countries make up 3 of the 5 most gender equal countries worldwide. The Nordic countries are known for their high levels of gender equality, including high female employment rates and evenly divided parental leave. Sudan is the second-least gender equal country Pakistan is found on the other end of the scale, ranked as the least gender equal country in the world. Conditions for civilians in the North African country have worsened significantly after a civil war broke out in April 2023. Especially girls and women are suffering and have become victims of sexual violence. Moreover, nearly 9 million people are estimated to be at acute risk of famine. The Middle East and North Africa have the largest gender gap Looking at the different world regions, the Middle East and North Africa have the largest gender gap as of 2023, just ahead of South Asia. Moreover, it is estimated that it will take another 152 years before the gender gap in the Middle East and North Africa is closed. On the other hand, Europe has the lowest gender gap in the world.

As of 2023, South Korea is the country with the highest gender pay gap among OECD countries, with a **** percent difference between the genders. The gender pay gap displays the difference between the median wages of full-time employed men and full-time employed women.

This statistic shows the median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers in the United States by gender and ethnicity in 2023. The usual weekly earnings of a male Asian American wage worker was 1,635 U.S. dollars in 2023.

In 2023, the mean income of women with a doctorate degree in the United States stood at 139,100 U.S. dollars. For men with the same degree, mean earnings stood at 175,500 U.S. dollars. On average in 2023, American men earned 91,590 U.S. dollars, while American women earned 65,987 U.S. dollars.

Since 1990, the employment rate of women in the United States has stayed more or less steady, reaching a peak of 57.5 percent in 2000. In 1990, the female employment rate was 54.3 percent, and in 2024, the employment rate was 55.2. Women in the workforce There have historically been fewer women than men in the workforce. Additionally, women face many hurdles to equal treatment when they are employed, such as wage discrepancies, sexual harassment, and being expected to carry out the majority of household and family related tasks even while working full-time. Women have historically been the primary caregivers and homemakers through many cultures worldwide. Despite this, the number of women joining the workforce has increased globally. Women in history faced the additional barrier of not being able to attend university, which barred them from gaining an education and access to professional job. However, as our cultures have modernized, women have been granted equal access to university in many societies. In 2014 in the United States, the number of university degrees awarded to women exceeded that of men for the first time. In 2021, 39.1 percent of women had completed at least four years of university compared to 36.6 percent of men. Despite this, the unemployment rate of women in the United States has fluctuated significantly since 1990. In 2021, Nebraska was the state with the highest percentage of women participating in the civilian labor force, second to the District of Columbia. The wage gap Today, the wage gap is still a problem for women, although improvements have been made. There is no state in the U.S. where women earn more than men, but women in Vermont had the smallest wage gap to men in 2021. Additionally, there are no occupations in which women out-earn men, even in occupations that traditionally employ more women. A more detailed look at wage inequality in the United States can be found here.

Based on the degree of inequality in income distribution measured by the Gini coefficient, Colombia was the most unequal country in Latin America as of 2022. Colombia's Gini coefficient amounted to 54.8. The Dominican Republic recorded the lowest Gini coefficient at 37, even below Uruguay and Chile, which are some of the countries with the highest human development indexes in Latin America. The Gini coefficient explained The Gini coefficient measures the deviation of the distribution of income among individuals or households in a given country from a perfectly equal distribution. A value of 0 represents absolute equality, whereas 100 would be the highest possible degree of inequality. This measurement reflects the degree of wealth inequality at a certain moment in time, though it may fail to capture how average levels of income improve or worsen over time. What affects the Gini coefficient in Latin America? Latin America, as other developing regions in the world, generally records high rates of inequality, with a Gini coefficient ranging between 37 and 55 points according to the latest available data from the reporting period 2010-2023. According to the Human Development Report, wealth redistribution by means of tax transfers improves Latin America's Gini coefficient to a lesser degree than it does in advanced economies. Wider access to education and health services, on the other hand, have been proven to have a greater direct effect in improving Gini coefficient measurements in the region.

In the U.S., median household income rose from 51,570 U.S. dollars in 1967 to 80,610 dollars in 2023. In terms of broad ethnic groups, Black Americans have consistently had the lowest median income in the given years, while Asian Americans have the highest; median income in Asian American households has typically been around double that of Black Americans.

In 2023, **** percent of Black people living in the United States were living below the poverty line, compared to *** percent of white people. That year, the total poverty rate in the U.S. across all races and ethnicities was **** percent. Poverty in the United States Single people in the United States making less than ****** U.S. dollars a year and families of four making less than ****** U.S. dollars a year are considered to be below the poverty line. Women and children are more likely to suffer from poverty, due to women staying home more often than men to take care of children, and women suffering from the gender wage gap. Not only are women and children more likely to be affected, racial minorities are as well due to the discrimination they face. Poverty data Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States had the third highest poverty rate out of all OECD countries in 2019. However, the United States' poverty rate has been fluctuating since 1990, but has been decreasing since 2014. The average median household income in the U.S. has remained somewhat consistent since 1990, but has recently increased since 2014 until a slight decrease in 2020, potentially due to the pandemic. The state that had the highest number of people living below the poverty line in 2020 was California.

This statistic shows the inequality of income distribution in China from 2005 to 2023 based on the Gini Index. In 2023, China reached a score of ************ points. The Gini Index is a statistical measure that is used to represent unequal distributions, e.g. income distribution. It can take any value between 1 and 100 points (or 0 and 1). The closer the value is to 100 the greater is the inequality. 40 or 0.4 is the warning level set by the United Nations. The Gini Index for South Korea had ranged at about **** in 2022. Income distribution in China The Gini coefficient is used to measure the income inequality of a country. The United States, the World Bank, the US Central Intelligence Agency, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development all provide their own measurement of the Gini coefficient, varying in data collection and survey methods. According to the United Nations Development Programme, countries with the largest income inequality based on the Gini index are mainly located in Africa and Latin America, with South Africa displaying the world's highest value in 2022. The world's most equal countries, on the contrary, are situated mostly in Europe. The United States' Gini for household income has increased by around ten percent since 1990, to **** in 2023. Development of inequality in China Growing inequality counts as one of the biggest social, economic, and political challenges to many countries, especially emerging markets. Over the last 20 years, China has become one of the world's largest economies. As parts of the society have become more and more affluent, the country's Gini coefficient has also grown sharply over the last decades. As shown by the graph at hand, China's Gini coefficient ranged at a level higher than the warning line for increasing risk of social unrest over the last decade. However, the situation has slightly improved since 2008, when the Gini coefficient had reached the highest value of recent times.

In 2023, the mean income of Black Bachelor's degree holders was ****** U.S. dollars, compared to ****** U.S. dollars for White Americans with a Bachelor's degree.

In 2024, the education and health services industry employed the largest number of people in the United States. That year, about 37 million people were employed in the education and health services industry. Education and Health Services Industry Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States has started to fall behind in both education and the health care industry. Although the U.S. spends the most money in both these industries, they do not see their desired results in comparison to other nations. Furthermore, in the education services industry, there was a relatively significant wage gap between men and women. In 2019, men earned about 1,070 U.S. dollars per week on average, while their female counterparts only earned 773 U.S. dollars per week. Employment in the U.S. The 2008 financial crisis was a large-scale event that impacted the entire world, especially the United States. The economy started to improve after 2010, and the number of people employed in the United States has been steadily increasing since then. However, the number of people employed in the education sector is expected to slowly decrease until 2026. The overall unemployment rate in the United States has decreased since 2010 as well.

In March 2025, inflation amounted to 2.4 percent, while wages grew by 4.3 percent. The inflation rate has not exceeded the rate of wage growth since January 2023. Inflation in 2022 The high rates of inflation in 2022 meant that the real terms value of American wages took a hit. Many Americans report feelings of concern over the economy and a worsening of their financial situation. The inflation situation in the United States is one that was experienced globally in 2022, mainly due to COVID-19 related supply chain constraints and disruption due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The monthly inflation rate for the U.S. reached a 40-year high in June 2022 at 9.1 percent, and annual inflation for 2022 reached eight percent. Without appropriate wage increases, Americans will continue to see a decline in their purchasing power. Wages in the U.S. Despite the level of wage growth reaching 6.7 percent in the summer of 2022, it has not been enough to curb the impact of even higher inflation rates. The federally mandated minimum wage in the United States has not increased since 2009, meaning that individuals working minimum wage jobs have taken a real terms pay cut for the last twelve years. There are discrepancies between states - the minimum wage in California can be as high as 15.50 U.S. dollars per hour, while a business in Oklahoma may be as low as two U.S. dollars per hour. However, even the higher wage rates in states like California and Washington may be lacking - one analysis found that if minimum wage had kept up with productivity, the minimum hourly wage in the U.S. should have been 22.88 dollars per hour in 2021. Additionally, the impact of decreased purchasing power due to inflation will impact different parts of society in different ways with stark contrast in average wages due to both gender and race.