How much less women make than men in Colorado
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It's still a man's world — at least on payday.
By the numbers: Colorado women earned a median of $44,700 in 2023 — about $14,000 less than men, census data shows.
- That puts the state in the middle of the pack nationwide for gender wage disparities.
Why it matters: The stubborn pay gap reflects how U.S. workplaces remain tilted against women, particularly mothers and caregivers.
- The problem persists despite efforts like Colorado's 2019 equal pay law and its billion-dollar paid family leave program.
Zoom in: Latina women in Colorado face the largest wage gap — earning about $32,000 less than white, non-Hispanic men in 2023, census data shows.
- Black, Indigenous and Asian women are also significantly underpaid compared to their white counterparts, whether men or women.
- Even among white Coloradans, women made about $19,000 less than men.
What they're saying: The pay discrepancies are due in part to "a lack of workplace policies that support family caregiving, which is still most often performed by women," the National Partnership for Women and Families writes.
- Women are also overrepresented in lower-paying jobs and face more career interruptions, according to the Pew Research Center.
Zoom out: Utah had the highest overall gender wage gap in 2023 ($21,400), while Vermont had the lowest (about $8,500).