The wage gap: Gender differences in the teaching profession

Abstract

This thesis examines the wage gap between male and female teachers by analyzing data drawn from the 2006-08 Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS data set is composed of 72,000 households and the civilian noninstitutional population of the United States abiding in these households. The dependent variable, income, is an interval measure of annual income from wages and salaries. In this study the lower income for female teachers is best explained by three theoretical perspectives: individual, structural, and gender. A univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis were conducted and it was found that the wage gap between male and female teachers was partially explained by age, education, and organization size. It was also found that women will receive a lower income than their male counterparts based on their gender, and that women will be sorted into inferior economic positions relative to men.