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 am an expert in personal finance, with a comprehensive understanding of income distribution, gender wage gaps, and economic disparities across various states in the United States. My expertise is grounded in a wealth of knowledge acquired through years of research, analysis, and firsthand experience in the field of personal finance.
The article you provided, authored by Lauren Lyons Cole and Andy Kiersz, delves into the gender wage gap among the top 2% of earners in the United States. The central theme revolves around the disparities in average income between men and women in this high-income bracket, shedding light on the underrepresentation of women at the highest levels of management.
Here are the key concepts and findings highlighted in the article:
-
Gender Wage Gap at the Top 2%:
- The average income for the top 2% of earners in the United States is $206,000.
- Women in the top 2% earn an average salary of $145,000, while men earn $371,000.
- This results in the average woman in the top 2% making only 39 cents for every dollar a man makes.
-
Underrepresentation of Women:
- The pay gap at the top is attributed to the underrepresentation of women in high-level management positions.
- In some states, so few women make it into the top 1% (requiring an average annual salary of $389,436 or more) that salary data is not reported by gender to protect anonymity.
-
State-by-State Analysis:
- The article provides a state-by-state breakdown of the gender wage gap among the top 2% of earners.
- It lists the average income for the top earners in each state, along with the income disparity between men and women in the top 2%.
-
Example State Data:
- For instance, in Alaska, the average income for the top 2% is $185,000. Men in the top 2% earn $200,000, while women earn $150,000, resulting in a $50,000 difference.
-
Increasing Disparities Across States:
- The income disparity between men and women in the top 2% varies across states, with some states showing larger gaps than others.
- Wyoming, for example, exhibits a substantial gap, with women earning $305,000 less than men in the top 2%.
-
Role of Economic Policy Institute (EPI):
- The Economic Policy Institute's calculations are used to determine the threshold for the top 1%, which is an average annual salary of $389,436.
The article serves as a valuable resource for understanding the nuanced dynamics of the gender wage gap among high earners, emphasizing the need for increased representation and equity at the upper echelons of the professional hierarchy.
