Gender Pay Gap Still Alive In 2025 Across Sectors: Study

While the gender pay gap has narrowed slightly over the last two decades, pay disparities still persist across nearly every industry in the United States for women in 2025. A recent analysis by High Rise Financial, a pre-settlement legal funding provider, captured just how deeply rooted and widespread these disparities remain for women in the U.S., no matter what sector or position. 

There are pay disparities as high as 25% in some sectors.

According to Pew Research, in 2024, women earned approximately 85 cents for every dollar earned by men, based on the average hourly wages of both full-time and part-time workers. While that marks a modest improvement from 2003—when women made just 81 cents to the dollar—the gender pay gap remains a persistent issue. Despite some progress, significant wage disparities continue to exist across many industries, highlighting that true pay equity is still out of reach for many women.

High Rise Financial found that finance, insurance, and transportation had wide pay gaps burdening female workers. The findings revealed that women in finance and insurance earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn, and in management roles, the disparity can widen to 28%. 

Even in industries where women make up the majority of the workforce, such as healthcare (76%) and nonprofits (65%), pay gaps remain. Women in healthcare earn just 86 cents per dollar earned by men, and in nonprofits, that figure is 88 cents.

Notably, Black and Native American women saw modest improvements, with their pay gap in 2023, reducing by just 5 cents compared to previous years across sectors. But this isn’t the time to celebrate. The data shows clearly that women not only have to break through the glass ceiling, but they’re often paid significantly less once they do.

Working Mothers Hit Especially Hard

The situation becomes even more stark for working mothers, who earn just 75 cents on the dollar compared to working…