The Gender Pay Gap Is Even Worse for Disabled Women

The gender pay gap in the U.S. today is often summed up thus: An average woman working full-time and year-round earns around 84 cents for every dollar earned by an average man working the same schedule. 

But women aren’t a monolith, and that number tells us little about their varied lived experiences. The gender pay gap is much larger for many women of color, particularly Black women and Latinas. It also varies by region, marital status, education level, and dozens of other factors.

In the U.S., October 20 marks Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day, which recognizes an especially stark disparity: For every dollar earned by nondisabled men, disabled women earn just 56 cents when all workers—including those employed part-time or for only part of the year—are counted.

While disabled workers are especially likely to work part-time, even disabled women working full-time and year-round earn just 68 cents for every dollar earned by nondisabled men working the same schedule. The gap widens significantly for disabled mothers and disabled women of color.

The day is part of a campaign by Equal Pay Today, a pay equity initiative housed at the nonprofit Equal Rights Advocates, which draws attention to the many ways gender-based wage discrimination intersects with other forms of inequality.

And the disparities aren't simply about paychecks. Disabled women also face barriers to higher-paying employment. Under a provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act dating back to 1938, some employers can still legally pay disabled workers less than the federal minimum wage. In 2024, the median hourly wage for workers, regardless of gender, covered by the provision was just $3.46, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

In a statement issued to mark Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day, Equal Pay Today called for policy reform “to transform our existing systems” and “to remove ableist barriers that trap disabled women in cycles of economic insecurity and poverty.”