Gender wage gap decreases by 43% in Greater Boston, but it's complicated

"We are encouraged to see the gender wage gap continuing to close,"

"The dramatic increase in women's representation in executive leadership, up 7% in just two years, shows that when organizations commit to advancing women into positions of power and higher pay, real change happens."

"However, the persistent disparity suggests that we still have significant work to do to ensure women receive equal compensation for equal work,"

"The widening racial wage gap demands our urgent attention. While we celebrate progress on gender equity, we cannot ignore that Employees of Color, particularly Black and Hispanic workers, are falling further behind."

Gender wage gap in Greater Boston narrowed to 12 cents in 2025 from 21 cents in 2023, while the racial wage gap widened to 31 cents from 27 cents. Men's median pay declined from 2023 while women's median pay remained essentially unchanged, contributing to the narrower gender gap. Women's representation in C-suite and senior executive roles rose by 7 percentage points over two years, boosting women's median earnings. Inclusion of performance pay increases the gender gap to 18 cents because men earn more than twice as much in bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing and merit raises. Racial and ethnic minorities remain overrepresented in low-paying jobs while white employees predominate in managerial and executive positions, expanding the racial gap.

Read at Boston.com