Gender-Wage Gap Wide in Wyoming

Women in the Big Horn Basin earn between 22 and 25 cents per dollar less than men.
That’s according to a recent study from the Department of Workforce Services that points out the gap in average wages between genders in Wyoming.
County10.com reports that Wyoming has traditionally had one of the widest gender wage gaps in the country. According to the study, variables and life situations that affect the gender wage gap in the state include education, industry worked, tenure, location, hours worked, having children and age.
The gap varied by location, as well. Teton County has the narrowest gap in the state at $0.93 cents on the dollar, while Lincoln County has the widest pay gap – women earned just $0.61 cents for every dollar earned by a man.

In Big Horn County, the gap is $.76 cents on the dollar, with Washakie County in a similar spot at $.75 cents. Park County’s gender wage gap isn’t much better, with women earning just $.78 cents for every dollar that men make.
The study shows that the gender wage gap varied by county and industry; widened with age; was narrower among individuals with a postsecondary degree; and widened with the number of births per individual.
The study showed that women in Wyoming tend to work more in service industries such educational services, healthcare services, and leisure and hospitality. Many of these service industries pay lower wages than male-dominated, goods-producing industries such as mining, construction and manufacturing.
A Study of the Disparity in Wages and Benefits Between Men and Women in Wyoming: Update 2018 is a follow-up to a study conducted in 2003 by the University of Wyoming. The full study and supplementary information can be found at the following website: http://doe.state.wy.us/lmi/.