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The gender pay gap is a persistent problem in the United States. The that women make 84 cents for every dollar paid to men is just the tip of the iceberg. Not only is the gap higher for women of color — Black women earn about 67 cents per dollar earned by White men while Hispanic women only earn 57 cents — but the contributing factors are complex and multifaceted.

The gender pay gap isn't just about women being paid less than men for the same job. It's also influenced by systemic discrimination linked to factors like parental leave and education levels. Some reasons for the gap are outright discrimination, while others are due to historical differences in representation and their ongoing effects.

One such factor is the differences in industries and occupations where men and women work. According to a 2023 brief from the , this variation explains 42% of the contrast in earnings. In other words, nearly half of the gender pay gap can be attributed to differences in the types of jobs men and women typically hold. In general, there are fewer women in higher-paying industries. Certain industries also have higher pay gaps than others.

To get a closer look at the gender pay gap within particular occupations, we analyzed College Scorecard data on median earnings of men versus women by field of study. Our analysis shows that in the year after graduation, men earn more than women across 123 fields of study, compared to 66 fields where women earn more than men. Four years after graduation, the gap widens further, with 146 fields of study showing higher median wages for men and only 43 showing higher wages for women.

The Impact of Occupation On the Pay Gap

The Women’s Bureau reports that industry and occupation affect the gender pay gap in several ways. For one, women make up a larger percentage of the workforce in low-paying careers, skewing their overall earnings compared to men. 

Still, it’s not just a matter of career choice. Even when men and women work the same full-time job, women often earn significantly less than men. 

When women move to higher-paying industries, the pay gap follows them. The Women’s Bureau also reports that as more women enter a field, the average pay for that job decreases.

Gender Pay Gap Widens in Many Career Fields

Clearly, the gender pay gap varies by industry. But which fields of study set up female graduates for the widest gap? How are women supposed to choose a degree that will secure their financial future? 

According to data from College Scorecard, the answer varies depending on the stage a worker is at in their career. Looking at major degree categories, a gender pay gap exists from the first year after graduation and continues throughout one's career. Meanwhile, the fields of study with the widest gap change over time. 

In the first year after graduation, men in Family and Consumer Sciences earn over $15,000 more than women on average, showing the biggest gap. However, four years later, the largest gap is seen in general engineering degrees, where men earn $109,335 while women earn $86,798 on average.

Top 10 Fields with Highest Pay Gap: 1 Year After Graduation

While most degree categories result in higher earnings for men in the first year after graduation, 66 fields actually show higher median earnings for women. For the most part, the numbers four years after graduation are quite different from the year right after.

Top 10 Fields with Highest Pay Gap: 4 Years After Graduation

For instance, in the year after graduation, general engineering degrees favor women in terms of median earnings. In fact, the field of Engineering shows the largest reverse pay gap at this time, with the median earnings for women $18,672 higher than those of men. But four years post-grad, the field flips to having the highest pay gap, with the median earnings for men over $22,000 higher than for women.

Other degrees also show marked changes across the years: 

• Within the first year after graduation, men with psychology degrees earn over $10,000 more than women. However, four years later, women in this field earn around $7,500 more.
• Biochemical Engineering is in the top five of the best fields for women one year after graduation, with a negative wage gap. Four years later, median earnings are higher for men.

Still, some fields of study continue on the same trend across career stages. For example, computer engineering degrees show a reverse pay gap in both the year after and four years after graduation. In one year, the median earnings for men in the field are $85,501, while women make $102,999. Four years later, men earn $103,976 compared to women who make $137,579. 

Income Inequality Trends

Many fields of study — such as General Engineering — show different pay gaps from one year to four years after graduation. Other fields, like Science Technologies, consistently show pay gaps across career stages. This fact makes it difficult to draw clear conclusions about which fields of study lead to higher pay gaps, as the answer can vary significantly over the years. 

In general, the largest pay gaps for both timelines — whether favoring men or women — are found primarily in STEM degrees. Humanities degrees, including English Language and Literature and Drama/Theatre Arts, stay in the middle of the pack, with relatively modest gaps in comparison. 

Notable, however, is the fact that the gap between men and women grows larger over time. 

Not only did the wage discrepancy between genders grow in four years post-graduation, but more fields of study show higher salaries for men. 

The Women’s Bureau notes that factors such as training gaps, workplace discrimination, and lack of accessible child care can prevent women from advancing in their careers, so it stands to reason that more fields will demonstrate a pay gap in later career stages. 

Regardless, long-term earning potential is a factor women should take into consideration when choosing their degree. Even if a field has a low pay gap in the year following graduation, the gap may widen over time and prove more harmful to financial security in the long run.  

Methodology

OnlineU collected on median earnings for male and non-male workers in 189 fields of study for both the year after graduation and four years after graduation. Median non-male earnings were subtracted from median male earnings to calculate the gender pay gap in each field. 

Please note, the data only reflects the median earnings of male and non-male workers and does not account for race or ethnicity.