Women top lawyers now out-earn men by 16% at America’s biggest companies—even as their share of the job slips

Women working full time in the United States earned substantially less than men in the second quarter of 2026, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The figures show that women’s median weekly earnings reached $1,131 during the period. That was 82% of men’s median weekly earnings, which stood at $1,380.

What the earnings figures show

Median weekly earnings provide a comparison of the midpoint pay for full-time women and men workers. In the latest quarterly data, the difference amounted to $249 per week between the reported medians.

The 82% figure places women’s reported median earnings below those of men across the period covered by the release. The data also show that the difference remains substantial even when the comparison is limited to people working full time.

Why the data matters

The figures offer a current snapshot of pay among full-time workers in the U.S. They can help employers, employees and policymakers assess the scale of the earnings difference, although the reported statistics do not explain why it exists.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics data covers the second quarter of 2026. No additional information about the causes of the gap, industry-level differences or future changes was provided in the source.

Bottom line

Women’s median weekly earnings were $1,131 in the second quarter of 2026, compared with $1,380 for men. The resulting 82% ratio highlights a continuing disparity in reported full-time weekly pay.