Today marks Equal Pay Day – a day that represents how much longer women would have to work to catch up to men’s salary from the previous year. But if you’re African-American, indigenous, or Latina, then you’d still need to work a few more months to bridge the gap. While it’s important to acknowledge all the work that’s needed until we reach parity, it’s also necessary to center women of color, who are usually the most marginalized. We’ve certainly come a long way since John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Law into effect in 1963, but there’s still even further to go.
During this year’s Equal Pay Day, here are 9 stats you must know if you’re Latina.
1
Latinas won't catch up to white men until November 1.
This year, Equal Pay Day doesn’t come for Latinas until November 1. While women on average make 80 cents to every dollar a white man earns, Latinas stand at a much lower 54 cents.
2
Latinas miss out on more than $26K a year.
That means that in 40 years, Latinas lose out on about $1,056,120 when compared to white, non-Latino men. It would take them 73.5 years to earn as much as white men in 40 years.
3
These are the women who are hit the hardest.
Though Latinas as a whole are more harshly affected by the pay gap, it’s Central American, Mexican, and Dominican women who face the biggest discrepancy, according to National Women’s Law Center.
4
A Bachelor's Degree is needed to out earn men with no college degree.
White men with some college education but no degree make $9,700 more than Latinas with an associate’s degree. It’ll take a Bachelor’s Degree or more to out earn a white man with some college education.
5
The wage gap also hits women nearing retirement harder.
Latinas between the ages of 25 and 44 earn about 58 cents to every dollar a white man makes. But Latinas between 45 to 64 earn 49 cents.
6
The wage gap is present across industries.
Latinas lag behind white men in various industries. A Latina waitress will make about 74 cents for every dollar a white man earns. And a Latina physician or surgeon will earn just 48 cents compared to her white male peers.
7
Immigrant women make much less than 54 cents.
Immigrant women make a mere 37 percents for every dollar a white man makes. And when compared with every dollar earned by white immigrant men, Latinas immigrants also earn significantly less at just 35 cents.
8
The wage gap for Latinas has remained consistent for decades.
For the last 30 years, the wage gap for Latinas has hovered at around 54 cents.
9
These are the states where the wage gap is most extreme.
New Jersey (42.4 cents), California (42.6 cents), Texas (44 cents), Maryland (45.9 cents), Utah (46.6 cents), Washington (46.8 cents), Connecticut (47.4 cents), Alabama (47.4 cents), Illinois (48.5), and North Carolina, Georgia, and Oklahoma (48.6 cents each). Washington DC – which is not a state – also ranks among the worst for Latinas at 46.9 cents.
See how the rest of the states fare here.