Eliminating the gender and inequality wage gap would raise women’s wages by more than 70%: Median hourly wages for men and women, compared with wages for all workers had they increased in tandem with productivity, 1979–2014

Wages for all workers Men’s wages Women’s wages Wages for all workers had they grown in tandem with productivity
1979 $16.00 $20.13 $12.61 $16.00
1980 $15.85 $19.83 $12.58 $15.88
1981 $15.43 $19.42 $12.47 $16.22
1982 $15.65 $19.27 $12.49 $15.98
1983 $15.57 $19.01 $12.65 $16.46
1984 $15.65 $18.92 $12.76 $16.89
1985 $15.79 $19.10 $12.82 $17.18
1986 $16.09 $19.64 $13.15 $17.53
1987 $16.10 $19.53 $13.49 $17.62
1988 $16.00 $19.16 $13.61 $17.82
1989 $15.91 $18.61 $13.60 $17.97
1990 $15.90 $18.32 $13.64 $18.22
1991 $16.00 $18.28 $13.70 $18.37
1992 $16.14 $18.13 $13.80 $19.03
1993 $16.02 $17.98 $13.96 $19.10
1994 $15.74 $17.66 $13.84 $19.28
1995 $15.62 $17.93 $13.75 $19.29
1996 $15.55 $17.81 $13.82 $19.75
1997 $15.92 $17.92 $14.16 $20.03
1998 $16.36 $18.56 $14.51 $20.43
1999 $16.87 $19.04 $14.64 $20.92
2000 $16.83 $19.16 $14.94 $21.41
2001 $17.18 $19.43 $15.26 $21.75
2002 $17.33 $19.52 $15.64 $22.36
2003 $17.54 $19.36 $15.68 $23.08
2004 $17.54 $19.13 $15.65 $23.70
2005 $17.33 $18.97 $15.54 $24.12
2006 $17.40 $18.93 $15.56 $24.26
2007 $17.26 $19.24 $15.69 $24.44
2008 $17.32 $19.13 $15.80 $24.48
2009 $17.61 $19.67 $16.07 $24.98
2010 $17.38 $19.16 $15.96 $25.71
2011 $16.91 $18.64 $15.67 $25.75
2012 $16.81 $18.60 $15.39 $25.88
2013 $16.97 $18.41 $15.35 $25.91
2014 $16.90  $18.35  $15.21   $26.04  

Source: Reproduced from Figure G in Alyssa Davis and Elise Gould, Closing the Pay Gap and Beyond:
A Comprehensive Strategy for Improving Economic Security for Women and FamiliesEPI Briefing Paper #412, November 18, 2015

EPI analysis of unpublished Total Economy Productivity data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Labor Productivity and Costs program, wage data from the Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group

View the underlying data on epi.org.