President Obama has recently been pushing hard on the ongoing gap between how much men and women are paid.
It turns out that this earnings gap varies across the country.
This map, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2012 American Community Survey, shows the gap between the 2012 median earnings for a year-round full-time male worker and a similar female worker, as a percentage of the median female's earnings.
Wyoming has the biggest pay gap — the median male full-time worker made $51,932, and the median female full-time worker made $33,152. The male worker thus made 56.6% more than the female worker.
Washington, D.C. had the smallest gap — there, men make 11.0% more than women. Among the states, Maryland and Nevada had the smallest gaps, both at 17.2%.
This is a very quick analysis of the pay gap — a more nuanced approach would consider the professions or industries of our workers.
Still, we are comparing full-time workers of both sexes, and it is startling that, even in places with the relatively small earnings gaps, men who work full time are still making quite a lot more than women who work full time.
This table shows the gaps between median male and female earnings, from the American Community Survey, both in absolute dollar terms and as a percentage of female median income:
