Gender pay gap

The highest-paid men working for the state of Iowa make significantly more money than the best-paid women, a Gazette analysis of state data has found.

The median salary of the 499 highest-paid male employees was nearly $235,600 in the fiscal year that ended June 30. That's well above the $140,900 median salary of the top 499 female state employees.

"Wow," was the reaction of Rachel Scott, executive director of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women.

Furthermore, the gap has increased by 20 percent in the past four years. (See chart.) Of the 100 highest-paid employees, 86 are men.

The governor's office said that the administration is "committed to ensuring that all people are paid an equal salary for equal work."

It noted that Culver signed an executive order creating the Governor's Diversity Council to address issues of inequity in state government. The administration will give careful consideration to the council's recommendations to improve gender pay equity, the office said.

It's an argument unlikely to win many friends among gender equality campaigners, but men earn more money than women not because they are inherently favoured in the workplace but because they work longer hours, put in the overtime, go out of their way to seek higher pay and promotion and don't stop working to have families.

The gender pay gap appears to be widening with men now earning 32% more than women, figures showed.

Age also remains a substantial factor in pay disparities, with the average 49-year-old paid nearly £10,000 more than the national average full-time wage of £27,376.