Mothers earn substantially less than fathers in every state, with gaps that widen when part-time and part-year work are included.

In 2025, mothers with children under 18 earned 64 cents for every dollar earned by fathers among all workers, and 74 cents among full-time, year-round workers. The size of the gap also varies by the age of children. The figure below shows earnings ratios for mothers with children under 18, ages 5 to 17, and under age 5.

The Wage Gap for Mothers with Children Under 18 by State

The map below shows earnings gaps across states for mothers with children under 18. Estimates are shown for all workers with earnings and full-time, year-round (FTYR) workers using 2020–2024 American Community Survey (5-year) data. Use the navigation button in the bottom right corner to toggle between FTYR and all workers.

The wage gap for mothers with children under 18 varies widely across states.

Among full-time, year-round workers, the largest gaps are in:
• Louisiana (64 cents for every dollar earned by fathers)
• Utah (64 cents)
• Alabama (66 cents)

The smallest gaps are in:
• Vermont (87 cents for every dollar earned by fathers)
• Rhode Island (82 cents)
• New York (81 cents)

When all workers are included, the gap widens in every state.

The largest gaps are in:
• Utah (46 cents for every dollar earned by fathers)
• Louisiana (54 cents)
• Idaho (55 cents)

The smallest gaps are in:
• Vermont (77 cents for every dollar earned by fathers)
• South Dakota (69 cents)
• Maryland (69 cents)

The Wage Gap for Mothers with Children Under 5 by State

The map below shows earnings gaps across states for mothers with children under 5. Estimates are shown for all workers with earnings and full-time, year-round (FTYR) workers using 2020–2024 American Community Survey (5-year) data. Use the navigation button in the bottom right corner to toggle between FTYR and all workers.

The wage gap is also substantial for mothers with young children in each state. 

Among full-time, year-round workers, the states with the largest gaps are:
• Louisiana (65 cents for every dollar earned by fathers)
• Utah (68 cents)
• Idaho (68 cents)

The states with the smallest gaps are:
• Vermont (89 cents for every dollar earned by fathers)
• New York (88 cents)
• Oregon (84 cents)

When all workers are included, the gap again widens across states.

The states with the largest gaps are:
• Utah (45 cents for every dollar earned by fathers)
• Idaho (51 cents)
• Louisiana (53 cents)

The states with the smallest gaps are:
• Vermont (78 cents for every dollar earned by fathers)
• South Dakota (75 cents)
• New York (70 cents)

These patterns are closely tied to differences in labor force participation among mothers with young children. For more on employment trends for mothers with children under 5, see our blog "Labor Force Participation Tracker: Parents with Children Under 5".

The Wage Gap for Mothers by Race/Ethnicity

Pay gaps for mothers are widest for Black and Hispanic women, who earn roughly half—or less—of what fathers earn, even among full-time workers.

Among mothers with children under 18, Black mothers earn 50 cents and Hispanic mothers 43 cents for every dollar earned by fathers. Even among full-time, year-round workers, they earn just 55 cents and 51 cents, respectively.

White mothers earn more, but still face a substantial gap—63 cents among all workers and 70 cents among full-time workers.

Similar patterns appear for mothers with children under 5, with Black and Hispanic mothers consistently experiencing the largest gaps.

Across every state and measure, mothers earn substantially less than fathers. The size of the gap varies, but it is consistently larger when all workers are included and for many mothers of color. These patterns reflect the “motherhood penalty”—the decline in women’s earnings after having children, which contributes significantly to the overall gender wage gap and widens over the life course (AAUW).

To dive deeper into state breakdowns for women of color, see our blog “The Gender Wage Gap by Race and State”.