March is gender equality month, and also includes the recognition of Equal Pay Day for women on the 12th. This day adjusts year-to-year, because it indicates how far into the year the average (median) woman must work in order to earn what the average (median) man earned the entire previous year (2023). This day brings to light the reality of gender pay gaps in the U.S., which are also reflected in state data. In New Hampshire, the average full-time working woman earns 76 cents for every dollar earned by men; this is a wider gap than the 84 cent national average.
Several other Equal Pay Days are recognized nationally; each date is determined by census data on income for that group. LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Day will be acknowledged on June 13, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is on July 9, Latina Equal Pay Day is on October 3, and Native Women’s Equal Pay Day is on November 21. The dates that appear later in the year reflect the intersectionality of pay gaps. For example, the average (median) salaries of BIPOC women are less than the average (median) salary of all women in the U.S. This shows how factors beyond gender identity make a huge impact on a worker’s wages. To learn more, visit equalpaytoday.org.