FACT SHEET
Latinas and the Wage Gap
JANUARY 2013
On average, women in the United States are paid just 77 cents for every dollar paid to men.1
For Latinas, this disparity is much worse. Overall, Latinas in the United States are paid just
60 cents for every dollar paid to men2 and just 55 cents for every dollar paid to white, nonHispanic men.3
Even in states with large populations of employed Latinas, rampant wage disparities
persist – with potentially devastating consequences for Latinas and their families.
 In the 20 states with the largest number of Latinas working full time, year round, pay
for Latinas ranges from 51 to 68 cents for every dollar paid to men in those states.4
 The states with the largest populations of Latinas working full time, year round are
Texas and California. In Texas, Latinas are paid 59 cents for every dollar paid to Texan
men. In California, Latinas are paid 60 cents for every dollar paid to men in the state.5
 Among these states, Latinas in Washington and New Jersey suffer from the largest
wage gap, bringing home just 51 cents for every dollar paid to men in their states.6
 Among the 20 states, Florida and New Mexico have the smallest wage gaps – but
Latinas in those states still face a substantial disparity of 68 cents for every dollar paid
to men in the two states.7
Wage Gap for Latinas by State
An analysis of the wage gap in the 20 states with the largest number of
Latinas who work full time, year round
State
New Jersey
Washington
Massachusetts
North Carolina
Connecticut
Oregon
Maryland
Illinois
Number of
Latinas
Working
Full Time,
Year Round
209,938
67,725
66,518
65,669
55,085
38,483
60,902
217,559
Median
Earnings for
Latinas
$30,883
$26,922
$31,511
$22,286
$32,107
$24,646
$30,736
$27,539
Median
Earnings
for All Men
$60,568
$53,046
$60,264
$41,950
$60,705
$45,976
$56,708
$50,746
Annual
Wage Gap
$29,685
$26,124
$28,753
$19,664
$28,598
$21,330
$25,972
$23,207
1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW | Suite 650 | Washington, DC 20009
202.986.2600 | www.NationalPartnership.org
Cents on
the
Dollar
51
51
52
53
53
54
54
54
Michigan
Georgia
Pennsylvania
Colorado
Virginia
Texas
California
New York
Arizona
Nevada
New Mexico
Florida
38,674
75,182
68,009
110,140
86,000
1,071,532
1,427,309
418,782
200,478
83,682
118,878
568,016
$28,268
$24,996
$28,037
$29,769
$31,341
$25,410
$29,347
$32,207
$27,848
$27,474
$27,709
$27,744
$50,053
$43,902
$47,956
$50,987
$52,805
$43,160
$49,281
$50,388
$42,544
$41,803
$41,037
$40,951
$21,785
$18,906
$19,919
$21,218
$21,464
$17,750
$19,934
$18,181
$14,696
$14,329
$13,328
$13,207
56
57
58
58
59
59
60
64
65
66
68
68
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, Geographies: All States
within United States, Table B20017I: Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2011 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 (Hispanic or Latino) and Table B20005I: Sex by Work Experience in the Past 12 Months by Earnings in
the Past 12 Months (in 2011 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for the Population 16 Years and Over (Hispanic or Latino).
What Does the Wage Gap Mean for Latinas?
The median salary for Latinas is $29,020 per year, compared to a median salary of $48,202
for all men – or a difference of $19,182 each year. If the wage gap were eliminated, a Latina
working full time, year round would have enough money for approximately:
 Nearly three years’ worth of food.8
 More than one year of mortgage and utilities payments;9
 Nearly two years of rent;10
 Almost five more years’ worth of family health insurance premiums;11 or
 5,743 additional gallons of gas.12
Latinas and Their Families Cannot Afford Discrimination
Eliminating the wage gap would provide much-needed income to Latinas, whose salaries
are critically important for their families.
 More than two million family households in the United States are headed by
Latinas.13
 Nearly 40 percent of all Latina-headed households live below the poverty level.14
Among Latina-headed households with children under five years of age, that
percentage increases to more than 50 percent.15 This means that half of Latina-headed
households with young children live in poverty.
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR WOMEN & FAMILIES | FACT SHEET | LATINAS AND THE WAGE GAP
2
Congress Must Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act
The economic security of Latinas and all working women and their families is put at risk when
women are paid less than men. The Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen the Equal Pay
Act of 1963 and help women fight wage discrimination. The Paycheck Fairness Act would:
 Prohibit employers from retaliating against workers who discuss salaries with colleagues;
 Put gender-based discrimination on equal footing with other forms of wage discrimination
– such as race or national origin – and allow women to take legal action for damages;
 Require employers to prove that pay differences exist for legitimate, job-related reasons;
 Create a negotiation skills training program for women and girls;
 Recognize employers for excellence in their pay practices;
 Provide businesses, especially small ones, assistance with equal pay practices; and
 Enhance the Department of Labor’s and the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission’s abilities to investigate and enforce pay discrimination laws.
1 U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement: Table PINC-05: Work Experience in 2011 – People 15 Years Old and Over
by Total Money Earnings in 2011, Age, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex. Retrieved 27 November 2012, from
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/cpstables/032011/perinc/new05_000.htm (Unpublished calculation.)
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, Geographies: All States within United States, Table B20017I: Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in
2011 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 (Hispanic or Latino).
Retrieved 25 October 2012, from http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_3YR_B20017I&prodType=table (This calculation is
based on a comparison of the median salary of all men working full time, year round with that of Latinas working full time, year round.); U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). American
Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, Geographies: All States within United States, Table B20005I: Sex by Work Experience in the Past 12 Months by Earnings in the Past 12 Months
(in 2011 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for the Population 16 Years and Over (Hispanic or Latino). Retrieved 9 January 2012, from
http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_3YR_B20005I&prodType=table
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012, September). Consumer Expenditure Survey, Table 8. Region of Residence: Average Annual Expenditures, 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2012,
from http://www.bls.gov/cex/2011/Standard/region.pdf (Unpublished calculation.)
9 U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). American Community Survey 1 Year Estimates, Table R2511: Median Monthly Housing Costs for Owner-Occupied Housing Units with a Mortgage
(Dollars): United States and States. Retrieved 17 October 2012, from
http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_1YR_R2511.US01PRF&prodType=table (Unpublished calculation.)
10 U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). American Community Survey 1 Year Estimates, Table GCT 2514: Median Monthly Housing Costs for Renter-Occupied Housing Units (Dollars): United
States – States; and Puerto Rico. Retrieved 4 April 2012,
http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_1YR_GCT2514.US01PR&prodType=table (Calculation uses median gross rent.)
11 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2012). State Health Facts: Average Family Premium per Enrolled Employee for Employer-Based Health Insurance, 2011. Retrieved 19
December 2012, from http://statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?typ=4&ind=271&cat=5&sub=67 (Calculation uses 2011 average family premium data for employee
contribution.)
12 AAA. (2012). AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report: Current State Averages. Retrieved 11 December 2012, from http://fuelgaugereport.opisnet.com/index.asp (Calculation uses
average cost of regular quality gasoline as of December 11, 2012).
13 U.S. Census Bureau (2012). American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, Table S0201: Selected Population Profile in the United States: 2009-2011 (Hispanic or Latino (of any
race)). Retrieved 18 December 2012, from http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_3YR_S0201&prodType=table
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid.
The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, access to quality health care and
policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family. More information is available at www.NationalPartnership.org.
© 2013 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR WOMEN & FAMILIES | FACT SHEET | LATINAS AND THE WAGE GAP
3