The LGBTQ+ wage gap refers to the discrepancy in earnings between LGBTQ+ individuals and their heterosexual and/or cisgender counterparts. This gap persists across industries, occupations, and geographic regions. The nomenclature can sometimes be overgeneralized, though. Comparing queer people as a whole to non-queer people as a whole leaves out measurable differences in race and gender.
The Human Rights Campaign’s data set from 2021 identifies the LGBTQ+ wage gap as 90 cents on the dollar. However, those numbers vary widely depending on race and gender. Then, on top of that, the numbers themselves shift as new analyses and lookbacks are published.
Many of these numbers are likely underestimates, because not all queer people are out at work or even willing to be out in public. Carpenter noted in a 2021 interview to The 19th in 2021 that, when it comes to data sets about LGBTQ+ people and economics, “any data that we get is almost surely an undercount.”
This article summarizes the history of the LGBTQ+ wage gap, why it matters, and its impact on financial well-being.
- We have less financial data on queer people in general because our lives are not being measured in large government data sets the way race and gender are.
- Independent studies have revealed mixed results as to whether queer people earn more or less, and these data sets vary considerably from person to person based on ethnicity and gender.
- LGBTQ+ wage gaps (and the factors that cause them) can help community leaders and politicians advocate for better equity and inclusion in the workplace.
What is the LGBTQ+ wage gap?
LGBTQ+ workers earn about 90 cents for every dollar earned by a typical US worker, according to the Human Rights Campaign. This pay gap varies among LGBTQ+ people of color, transgender women and men, compared to the typical worker. For every dollar the typical worker earns, here are the equivalents, based on HRC’s survey. (Note that the HRC’s methodology used a sample set of full-time workers.)
LGBTQ+ racial pay gap
- LGBTQ+ Asian/Asian Pacific Islander workers: $1.00
- LGBTQ+ White workers: $0.97
- LGBTQ+ Latine workers: $0.90
- LGBTQ+ Black workers: $0.80
- LGBTQ+ Native American workers: $0.70
LGBTQ+ gender pay gap
- LGB cis men: $0.96
- LGB cis women: $0.87
- Non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid and two-spirit: $0.70
- Trans men: $0.70
- Trans women: $0.60
Variations among queer women
- LGBTQ+ Asian women: $1.00
- LGBTQ+ White women: $0.96
- LGBTQ+ Black women: $0.85
- LGBTQ+ Native American women: $0.75
- LGBTQ+ Latine women: $0.72
The LGBTQ+ wage gap also intersects with other forms of workplace discrimination. Women and queer people of color often experience compounded wage disparities based on both their sexual orientation/gender identity and their race/ethnicity.
Separately, a 2015 survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality found that trans women and men were twice as likely to be unemployed compared to the general population. Those who were employed reported lower incomes and higher rates of poverty.
When did the term “LGBTQ+ wage gap” first appear?
The term "LGBTQ+ wage gap" first gained prominence in the early 2000s, when researchers began to investigate earnings disparities based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Early studies revealed that gay and bisexual men earned less than heterosexual men with similar qualifications. (This work used the term “gay wage gap” more frequently.)
Over time, research on the LGBTQ+ wage gap expanded to include lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Findings consistently showed that LGBTQ+ workers faced wage discrimination across various sectors, and might not even reveal the true extent of queer people’s financial challenges. As awareness grew, advocacy groups and policymakers started to address the issue more directly.
Today, the fight for LGBTQ+ wage equality continues. Ongoing research and activism help shed light on the problem and drive change.
Why the LGBTQ+ wage gap matters
Like other pay gaps, the LGBTQ+ wage gap has far-reaching consequences for individuals, families, and society as a whole. When queer adults earn less, they face greater financial insecurity and reduced economic mobility. This has led to historically higher rates of poverty, debt, and housing instability, and will continue in the future.
Related: Lavender Scare Book Review: Why the U.S. Government Fired a Bunch of Queer People
LGBTQ+ personal finance is an important topic, and earnings are obviously one of the biggest factors. Addressing the LGBTQ+ pay gap benefits everyone, not just those in the community. When workers have equal earning potential, they can contribute more to economic growth and stability, and pursue their own personal goals and family planning, too.
Tackling the LGBTQ+ wage gap is not only a matter of social justice, but also a way to keep queer workers engaged and empowered.
The takeaway
Ongoing research, advocacy, and policy changes will be essential to closing the LGBTQ+ wage gap. Make an effort to keep up on these data sets so you can advocate for queer rights accurately and effectively. ⬥
LGBTQ+ wage gap FAQs
What is the LGBTQ+ wage gap?+
The LGBTQ+ wage gap is the difference between what LGBTQ+ workers earn and what the typical U.S. worker earns. The Human Rights Campaign puts it at about 90 cents on the dollar for full-time LGBTQ+ workers, though the figure varies widely by race and gender identity.
How much less do transgender workers earn?+
Transgender women earn about 60 cents and transgender men about 70 cents for every dollar the typical worker earns, per the Human Rights Campaign. The 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey also found an 18% unemployment rate and a 34% poverty rate among respondents.
Do gay men earn more than straight men?+
Some research says yes. Economist Kitt Carpenter's 2017 Harvard Business Review analysis found that gay men, who historically earned less than straight men, had come to earn more. LGB cisgender men earn about 96 cents on the dollar in HRC's data, the smallest gap of any LGBTQ+ group except Asian and Pacific Islander workers.
Why isn't there better federal data on LGBTQ+ pay?+
Most federal surveys don't ask. Roughly 360 federal data collections removed sexual-orientation or gender-identity questions following Executive Order 14168 in 2025, according to a February 2026 Williams Institute analysis, and the Census Bureau halted its work on adding gender identity to the American Community Survey.
Is the LGBTQ+ wage gap illegal?+
Paying someone less because they are LGBTQ+ is illegal. The Supreme Court held in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) that Title VII's ban on sex discrimination covers sexual orientation and gender identity. Proving it in an individual case is a separate and much harder problem.
