Date of Award
Fall 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
March 2026
College Granting Degree
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Zachary Ferrara
Additional Committee Member 1
Warren McGovern
Additional Committee Member 2
Justin Perry
Abstract
This thesis examines the gender wage gap across thirty major U.S. occupations from 2014 to 2023 using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), more specifically, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The analysis measures the difference in median weekly earnings between women and men in each occupation and applies two statistical tests: a yearly z-test to evaluate whether the average wage gap is significant, and a ten-year t-test to identify persistent occupational gaps. Results show significant wage differences in every year, with the largest disparities in finance, management, and law, and smaller gaps in education and healthcare. Consistent with Blau and Kahn (2017) and Goldin (2014), the findings suggest that occupational structure, work-hour inflexibility, and institutional pay practices continue to shape gendered labor-market outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Long, Curtis, "The Gender Pay Gap: An Occupational Analysis (2012-2023)" (2025). Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses. 4.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_honors/4