What term describes the difference in average earnings between men and women?

The term for the difference in average earnings between men and women is the gender pay gap.

The phrase usually describes the average difference in remuneration across a group of male and female workers. It is commonly reported as a percentage or ratio, such as women earning a certain percentage of men’s average earnings. The exact result depends on whether researchers compare hourly pay, annual earnings, full-time workers, or all workers.

A major distinction is between an unadjusted and an adjusted gap. The unadjusted measure compares overall averages without accounting for factors such as occupation, hours, experience, education, or time away from work. An adjusted comparison attempts to account for some of those variables and may produce a smaller difference. Neither measure alone explains every cause.

The gender pay gap is not identical to unequal pay for identical work, although discrimination can contribute to it. Other influences include occupational segregation, part-time employment, caregiving responsibilities, parental leave, and the “motherhood penalty.” “Wealth gap” concerns accumulated assets, while “income disparity” and “wage inequality” are broader expressions rather than this specific standard term.