For the US overall, the income threshold required to be in the top 2% of earners is $206,000.
Across the US, the average income for the top 2% of all earners is $206,000.
But among women in the top 2%, the average salary is $145,000, compared to $371,000 for men, according to an analysis of the 2015 American Community Survey by labor economics research firm Job Search Intelligence (JSI).
That means the average woman in the top 2% makes just 39 cents for every dollar a man makes. Overall, women earn an average of 79 cents for every dollar a man makes in the US, according to a 2016 report published by the Joint Economic Committee Democratic Staff.
While striking, the pay gap at the top isn't likely a matter of women being paid significantly less than their male counterparts, but rather that women are underrepresented at the highest levels of management.
In fact, in some states, so few women make it into the top 1% — which requires an average annual salary of $389,436 or more, based on calculations by the Economic Policy Institute — that, to protect anonymity, salary data is not reported by gender, according to JSI. That's why we're comparing earnings among the top 2%, rather than the more standard top 1% of earners.
Below, see the average income for the top 2% of earners in every US state — listed from lowest to highest — as well as the average income for women and men in the top 2% of earners.
Idaho
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $316,000
A woman in the top 2%: $106,000
Iowa
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $193,000
A woman in the top 2%: $110,000
Mississippi
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $290,000
A woman in the top 2%: $107,000
North Dakota
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $170,000
A woman in the top 2%: $100,000
South Dakota
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $150,000
A man in the top 2%: $186,000
A woman in the top 2%: $101,000
New Mexico
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $158,000
A man in the top 2%: $304,000
A woman in the top 2%: $125,000
West Virginia
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $160,000
A man in the top 2%: $283,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
Indiana
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $170,000
A man in the top 2%: $200,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
Wyoming
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $170,000
A man in the top 2%: $425,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
Alabama
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $175,000
A man in the top 2%: $333,000
A woman in the top 2%: $124,000
Kansas
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $175,000
A man in the top 2%: $215,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
Nebraska
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $175,000
A man in the top 2%: $384,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
Vermont
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $176,000
A man in the top 2%: $215,000
A woman in the top 2%: $127,000
Arkansas
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $336,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
Hawaii
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $351,000
A woman in the top 2%: $140,000
Maine
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $324,000
A woman in the top 2%: $125,000
Nevada
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $357,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
Oklahoma
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $375,000
A woman in the top 2%: $120,000
Wisconsin
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $180,000
A man in the top 2%: $211,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
Alaska
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $185,000
A man in the top 2%: $200,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
Montana
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $185,000
A man in the top 2%: $354,000
A woman in the top 2%: $125,000
South Carolina
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $185,000
A man in the top 2%: $347,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
Kentucky
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $190,000
A man in the top 2%: $358,000
A woman in the top 2%: $127,000
Missouri
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $190,000
A man in the top 2%: $387,000
A woman in the top 2%: $130,000
Michigan
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $194,000
A man in the top 2%: $382,000
A woman in the top 2%: $140,000
Ohio
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $196,000
A man in the top 2%: $392,000
A woman in the top 2%: $135,000
Oregon
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $198,000
A man in the top 2%: $378,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
Arizona
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $367,000
A woman in the top 2%: $140,000
Delaware
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $403,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
Louisiana
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $346,000
A woman in the top 2%: $125,000
Minnesota
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $250,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
North Carolina
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $416,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
Pennsylvania
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $408,000
A woman in the top 2%: $148,000
Tennessee
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $390,000
A woman in the top 2%: $135,000
Utah
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $200,000
A man in the top 2%: $362,000
A woman in the top 2%: $134,000
Georgia
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $217,000
A man in the top 2%: $419,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
Florida
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $220,000
A man in the top 2%: $429,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
New Hampshire
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $220,000
A man in the top 2%: $404,000
A woman in the top 2%: $160,000
Colorado
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $225,000
A man in the top 2%: $264,000
A woman in the top 2%: $160,000
Rhode Island
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $225,000
A man in the top 2%: $383,000
A woman in the top 2%: $150,000
Virginia
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $233,000
A man in the top 2%: $460,000
A woman in the top 2%: $172,000
Washington
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $240,000
A man in the top 2%: $440,000
A woman in the top 2%: $172,000
Illinois
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $245,000
A man in the top 2%: $505,000
A woman in the top 2%: $170,000
California
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $250,000
A man in the top 2%: $483,000
A woman in the top 2%: $200,000
Maryland
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $250,000
A man in the top 2%: $482,000
A woman in the top 2%: $186,000
Texas
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $250,000
A man in the top 2%: $451,000
A woman in the top 2%: $156,000
New York
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $280,000
A man in the top 2%: $613,000
A woman in the top 2%: $200,000
Massachusetts
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $300,000
A man in the top 2%: $551,000
A woman in the top 2%: $200,000
New Jersey
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $300,000
A man in the top 2%: $555,000
A woman in the top 2%: $200,000
Connecticut
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $360,000
A man in the top 2%: $658,000
A woman in the top 2%: $214,000
Washington, D.C.
Average income for:
Top 2% of earners: $379,000
A man in the top 2%: $637,000
A woman in the top 2%: $280,000
For the US overall, the income threshold required to be in the top 2% of earners is $206,000. Read Full Story
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