by Mitti Hicks
July 10, 2025
On average, a Black woman makes $50,470 annually at the median compared to $79,950 for a White man. This gap persists across states, educational levels, and occupations.
A new wage gap study shows that a Black woman working full-time year-round will likely lose more than $1 million over a 40-year career compared to a white man. As the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) study points out, the lost wages could have supported a down payment on a home, retirement savings, and education for children. Instead, the loss weakens stability and limits long-term wealth for Black families.
According to IWPR’s report, the wage gap remains wide and persistent. At the current rate, it could take over 200 years—until at least 2227— to close this gap.
Black women are the most educated working class in America, earning more college degrees than other racial and gender groups. Unfortunately, the pay doesn’t match that of their counterparts or their educational backgrounds. Despite an increase in educational attainment and workforce participation, Black women only earn 64.4 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
On average, a Black woman makes $50,470 annually at the median compared to $79,950 for a white man. This gap persists across states, educational levels, and occupations.
“This evidence further validates what researchers and Black women have long known,” said Dr. Jamila K. Taylor, president and CEO of IWPR. “The wage gap isn’t new, and it’s not confined by geography, education, or occupation.”
She adds, “For Black women, there is no amount of time we can wait, no place we can go, no degree we can earn, and no rung on the career ladder that we can climb to help us reach pay equity.”
Key Highlights From The Study
- In Washington, DC, Black women earn $66,000 annually, while white men earn $125,000, resulting in a $59,000 pay gap—the largest in the country.
- Black women with a bachelor’s degree earn 62.7% of what white men with the same degree earn.
- Even at the highest levels of education, the gap persists: Black women with professional degrees earn 59.0% of what their white male counterparts make.
What IWPR Recommends For Change in Wage Gap
IWPR is calling on policymakers to act with urgency. Some recommendations from the institute include mandating salary transparency, banning the use of salary history in hiring decisions, raising the federal minimum wage, and increasing investment in low-wage, care-based sectors.
Other recommendations are expanding access to paid family and medical leave, increasing funding for affordable child and elder care, and strengthening enforcement of anti-discrimination laws related to pay, hiring, and promotion.
“In this political climate where inequality is often misrepresented or simplified as individual performance-based, this research provides necessary context,” Taylor adds. “Our findings demonstrate that the wage gap Black women experience is not the result of personal choices, but rather systemic racism and sexism embedded in US labor market structures and workplaces. My hope is to make these barriers more visible through our data so policymakers can respond with informed solutions.”
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