Questions of equality

The graph on p. 9 of the spring UC Davis Magazine suggests, at first glance, that women are still being paid less than men for comparable work.

However, is that the case? Or do women enter different professions?

If you compare women and men at the same occupation one year later is there still the same discrepancy?

Sherman Stein
Professor Emeritus, UC Davis

The report on which our chart was based--"Postgraduate Studies and Career Outcomes of UC Davis Baccalaureate Recipients: 1976­1993"--notes: "Some of the difference in salaries stems from the underrepresentation of women in engineering, by far the highest paying field for recent graduates, and their relatively higher proportion in clerical positions (a low paying field). Excluding these two job categories, 1993 women graduates report salaries averaging 90 percent of those reported by their male counterparts ($22,400 vs. $25,000). Nevertheless, over the years studied, male graduates earn higher salaries in most career categories."