The Gender Earnings Gap for American Teachers Is Most Pronounced at the College Level

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released data on gender differences in median earnings by specific detailed occupations. For example, women doctors had median earnings of $150,975, which was only 68.2 percent of the median earnings of male doctors. Women who are attorneys had median earnings that were 77 percent of the median earnings of male lawyers.

The data also shows the gender earnings gap in education-related occupations. For all postsecondary teaching positions, the median earnings for women in 2015 was $61,046. This was 85.4 percent of the median earnings for male postsecondary teachers, which stood at $71,485.

For elementary and middle school teachers, women had median earning that were 93.9 percent of those of men. For high school teachers, women had median earnings that were 92.4 percent of men in similar posts.

Women teaching assistants earned only 71 percent of what was earned by male teaching assistants.