Unless you’re willfully ignorant, you’re probably aware that
there remains a significant gender wage gap in America—namely, that women make 79
cents for every dollar earned by men. Some people blame this disparity on
discrimination, while others argue that it relates to different career goals.
Well, an avant-garde study has determined that discrimination
is at least partly at work (gasp!). What better population to test out gender
differences on than transgender people? In a study of transgender people in the
workforce, researchers found that, across the board, men who became women earned an average of 32 percent less after the transition, while females
who became males earned an average of 1.5 percent more after they transitioned.
Some of these people remained in their old jobs after their
transitions, while some started new jobs. Some were out to their employers;
others were not. The constant was that they had all already attended school
and picked a profession—and, across the board, men earned more in this chosen
profession.
So, it's official: women don't only earn less than men because they want to be mommies.
Image: Getty
