Women’s wages have climbed dramatically since the turn of the century, but a new analysis shows the dollar-value gap between what men and women earn is bigger than ever.
According to a new report from MyPerfectResume, a premium resume-building service, the estimated aggregate annual earnings gap between men and women topped $671 billion in 2025. That’s more than double what it was in 2000, even though women’s pay and workforce participation have both climbed to record levels.
The analysis draws on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Population Survey and Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), tracking median weekly earnings and full-time workforce numbers for men and women from 2000 through 2025.
The Numbers: Progress and a Growing Gap, Side by Side
Women’s median weekly earnings more than doubled over the 25-year period, rising from $493 in 2000 to approximately $1,089 in 2025. On a per-dollar basis, that’s real progress: women earned about 77 cents for every dollar men earned in 2000, and that figure improved to roughly 82 cents by 2025.
But look at the numbers in raw dollars, and the story shifts. The estimated annual earnings difference between men and women actually grew, from about $7,696 in 2000 to $12,324 in 2025, an increase of more than 60%.
Here’s a side-by-side look at how the numbers moved:
In 2000:
- Women working full-time earned a median of $493 per week
- Men earned $641 per week
- Women earned about 77 cents for every dollar men earned
By 2025:
- Women’s median weekly earnings climbed to approximately $1,089
- Men’s median weekly earnings rose to approximately $1,326
- Women earned roughly 82 cents for every dollar men earned
Other key findings from the report include:
- The estimated aggregate annual gender earnings gap exceeded $671 billion in 2025, up from approximately $327 billion in 2000.
- The number of women employed full-time rose by more than 9.5 million since 2000.
- Women’s inflation-adjusted weekly earnings increased approximately 17.9% since 2000, while men’s real earnings also rose over the same period.
Why the Total Gap Kept Climbing
The report points to two forces working at the same time: a persistent per-worker earnings gap that never fully closed, and a full-time female workforce that grew substantially larger. When a shrinking percentage gap gets applied across a much bigger pool of workers, the total dollar amount can still grow.
Here’s how the aggregate gap expanded across the years measured in the report:
- 2000: approximately $326.9 billion
- 2020: approximately $446.7 billion
- 2025: approximately $671.5 billion
“Women have made real, measurable progress in the workforce over the last 25 years, and that deserves to be recognized,” said Dr. Jasmine Escalera, Career Expert at MyPerfectResume. “But the data show that progress in percentage terms has not prevented the dollar-value gap from growing. Behind every one of these numbers is a woman making real financial decisions with less earning power than her male peers. That gap compounds over a career in ways that affect savings, retirement, and long-term financial security.”
A Note on the Data
MyPerfectResume calculated the estimated annual earnings by multiplying median weekly earnings by 52, and the aggregate gap by multiplying that annual difference by the estimated number of full-time female workers. The report is careful to note this figure is meant as a directional illustration of scale, not a measure of actual wages lost or total payroll differences, since it’s based on median earnings rather than observed payroll data.
It’s also worth noting that the 2025 annual figures are based on 11 months of CPS data. October 2025 was excluded because data collection paused during the federal government shutdown, so year-over-year comparisons involving 2025 should be read with that caveat in mind.
The full report is available at MyPerfectResume’s career center.
What This Means for Your Wallet
Numbers like these can feel abstract until you bring them home.
A few things to think about if you’re navigating your own paycheck:
Dr. Escalera’s comment about compounding isn’t just a talking point.
Even a modest per-paycheck gap adds up fast once you factor in retirement contributions, employer matches, and the years of compound interest those dollars would have earned if they’d landed in an account sooner.
If you’ve never run the numbers on what a raise, even a small one, could mean for your retirement account down the line, it might be worth five minutes with a compound interest calculator.
Progress on paper doesn’t always show up in your bank account. The improved cents-on-the-dollar ratio is genuinely good news, but it’s a reminder that percentages and dollars tell different stories. When you’re negotiating a salary or reviewing a raise, ask for the number, not just the percentage.
Know your number before you walk into a negotiation. Sites like the BLS and salary transparency tools can help you figure out what your role typically pays before you sit down for that conversation.
Going in with data takes the guesswork and some of the nerves out of asking for what you’re worth.
If you’re building your own financial safety net, start where you are.
Try automating a small transfer into savings each payday or finally opening the retirement account you’ve been putting off, the goal isn’t to close a national wage gap on your own.
It’s just to make sure your own money is working as hard for you as it can.
