Minding the Gender Pay Gap
The Rosin Box Project’s rehearsing Duets premiere by FLOCK, Alice Klock and Florian Lochner
Photo by Amber Bliss
July 31st: Community Engagement Artists and Creatives Grant, December 31st: New England Presenter Travel Fund, December 31st: Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Scholarship, December 31st: 24 Seven Dance Convention, December 31st: National Theater Project Presenter Travel Grant, December 31st: Breck Creek Artist-in-Residence Program
×The Gender Pay Gap is the disparity between salaries for men and women. This issue is widespread and persists even when controlling for factors like experience, industry, and job level. Take a look at the facts and figures to learn more about the severity of this issue in every field.
In 2024, women make 83 cents for every dollar that men make. The gap is often worse for women of color:
The gender pay gap also varies by state, with the narrowest gaps being in New York (89%) and California (88%) and the widest gaps being in Louisiana (70%), Utah (70%), and West Virginia (72%). Zooming in on the arts, we see that women make $20,000 less annually than their male counterparts, according to the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP). (National Partnership for Women & Families Fact Sheet) (Payscale).
It is important to note that women aren’t the only ones negatively affected by the gap – when women enter a male-dominated field, wages tend to go down, even for men.
The consequences of the pay gap are such that women’s ability to attain long-term economic stability, earning potential overtime, economic mobility, and more is severely limited.
There are many ways to get involved in efforts to eliminate the gender pay gap. Write to your Members of Congress (MOCs) and encourage them to support legislative efforts related to pay equity – be aware of relevant legislation and advocacy that may accredit your assertions:
It is also crucial to talk to your peers about the gender pay gap. Efforts like this to bolster discourse are the first step in raising awareness of the reality of pay discrepancies. You can also support organizations like the Dance Data Project® who are advocating for closing the pay gap. Visit the DDP Resources page to learn more about organizations and studies that are keeping us informed and reinvigorating the essential dialogue surrounding this issue.