No matter where you go in the United States, women typically earn less than men. But the gender pay gap has slowly been narrowing over the last 20 years, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. In Southwest Florida, it’s actually been closing faster than most other parts of the country. Nationwide (looking at inflation-adjusted median salaries of full-time workers ages 16 and older), women earn about 82 cents on the dollar compared to men. In Fort Myers-Cape Coral, it’s 92 cents, and in Naples, it’s 95 cents.
There’s a catch: Most of the gains have been because of losses in the median income for men. Adjusting for inflation, salaries for men are actually lower now compared to 20 years ago.