Every quarter the US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, broken down by sex, race and Hispanic ethnicity. In the third quarter of 2026 the median was $1,352 for men and $1,127 for women, so women earned 83.4 cents for every dollar earned by men. The differences between groups are larger still: Asian men had a median of $1,841 a week, Hispanic women $919.
This calculator places your pay in your group and asks what the same relative position would pay in another group. If you are a Black woman earning $50,000 and compare yourself with White men, the ratio of medians (994 ÷ 1,394 = 71.3%) implies an equivalent of about $70,100.
These are raw comparisons of medians. They do not control for occupation, education, hours beyond full-time, experience or location, all of which differ between groups. They show the size of the earnings gap in the economy, not how much any single employer underpays anyone – but they are the official benchmark used in debates about pay equity.
How to use the Pay Gap Calculator
- Your sex
- Your race or ethnicity
- Compare with – sex
- Compare with – race or ethnicity
- Your pay
- Pay period
Results update as you type, every field has its own unit menu, and everything is calculated in your browser.
How it works
Choose your sex and race or ethnicity, the group to compare with, and enter your pay. The calculator looks up both medians from BLS Table 2 (Q3 2026, not seasonally adjusted), divides them and scales your pay by the ratio.
Worked example
A woman (all races) earning $50,000 a year compared with men of all races: 1,127 ÷ 1,352 = 0.834, so the equivalent is 50,000 ÷ 0.834 = $59,982 – about $9,982 more a year. A Black woman compared with White men: 994 ÷ 1,394 = 0.713, equivalent $70,121.
Median weekly earnings, Q3 2026 (BLS)
| Group | Total | Men | Women | Women per $1 of men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All races and ethnicities | $1,232 | $1,352 | $1,127 | 83.4¢ |
| White | $1,261 | $1,394 | $1,137 | 81.6¢ |
| Black or African American | $1,012 | $1,040 | $994 | 95.6¢ |
| Asian | $1,633 | $1,841 | $1,506 | 81.8¢ |
| Hispanic or Latino | $981 | $1,028 | $919 | 89.4¢ |
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Your sex | Choose one: Women, Men, Everyone (both sexes) |
| Your race or ethnicity | Choose one: All races and ethnicities, White, Black or African American, Asian … |
| Compare with – sex | Choose one: Women, Men, Everyone (both sexes) |
| Compare with – race or ethnicity | Choose one: All races and ethnicities, White, Black or African American, Asian … |
| Your pay | Amount in your currency |
| Pay period | Choose one: Per year, Per month, Per week, Per hour (2,080 h/year) |
What each result means
- Your group earns per $1 of the comparison group = [Median weekly earnings – your group]÷[Median weekly earnings – comparison group]
- Pay gap (relative to the comparison group) = (1 – [Median weekly earnings – your group]÷[Median weekly earnings – comparison group])×100
- You would earn in the comparison group = [Your pay]×[Median weekly earnings – comparison group]÷[Median weekly earnings – your group]
- Difference per pay period = [Your pay]×[Median weekly earnings – comparison group]÷[Median weekly earnings – your group] – [Your pay]
- Difference per year = ([Your pay]×[Median weekly earnings – comparison group]÷[Median weekly earnings – your group] – [Your pay])×[Pay period]
- Annual median earnings gap between the groups (52 weeks) = ([Median weekly earnings – comparison group] – [Median weekly earnings – your group])×52
Formula
Ratio = median earnings of your group ÷ median earnings of the comparison group · equivalent pay = your pay ÷ ratio · gap = 1 − ratio
Worked example
Inputs — Your sex: Women; Your race or ethnicity: All races and ethnicities; Compare with – sex: Men; Compare with – race or ethnicity: All races and ethnicities; Your pay: $50,000; Pay period: Per year.
Results — Median weekly earnings – your group = $1,127; Median weekly earnings – comparison group = $1,352; Your group earns per $1 of the comparison group = $0.83; Pay gap (relative to the comparison group) = 16.6 %; You would earn in the comparison group = $59,982.25; Difference per pay period = $9,982.25; Difference per year = $9,982.25; Annual median earnings gap between the groups (52 weeks) = $11,700.
Key terms
- Median usual weekly earnings
- The middle value of what full-time workers normally earn per week before taxes.
- Full-time worker
- Someone who usually works 35 hours or more a week.
- Cents on the dollar
- One group's median pay for every dollar of another group's median.
Frequently asked questions
What is the gender pay gap in the US in 2026?
In Q3 2026 women working full time had median weekly earnings of $1,127, 83.4% of men's $1,352 – a gap of 16.6% (BLS).
How big is the gap for Black and Hispanic women?
Compared with White men ($1,394 a week), Black women ($994) earn 71.3% and Hispanic women ($919) 65.9%.
Which group has the highest median earnings?
Asian men, at $1,841 a week in Q3 2026, followed by Asian women at $1,506.
Why use median weekly earnings?
The median is not distorted by very high earners, and BLS publishes it every quarter for full-time workers by sex, race and ethnicity.
Does this mean I am underpaid?
Not necessarily. The figures compare whole groups; for your own situation compare pay for the same job, experience and location – for example using salary surveys or your employer's pay bands.
Can Hispanic workers be of any race?
Yes. BLS counts Hispanic or Latino ethnicity separately, so Hispanic workers are also included in the race groups.