Report: Women Earn Less Than Men in Same Jobs in Virginia

DEL RAY, Va. - Women are celebrated at The Dairy Godmother in Del Ray. They're working in all parts of the popular frozen custard shop, which is owned by and named after a woman.

’I didn’t think of it that way when I started out, but yes, I guess I am the dairy godmother,’ said owner Liz Davis.

She is proud to say there's no gender gap at her operation. But she's not shocked to hear there's a big one outside her shop.

’I'm not surprised at that gap and I think it will continue to improve and improve as time goes by,’ Davis said.

A new report says women in Virginia earn an average of 81 cents for every dollar men make and this difference is larger than in most other states. The gender gap is the 14th highest in the country and higher than the national gap.

The Commonwealth Institute says the hourly wage gap between the sexes in Virginia in 2008 was $3.59. For the yearly median income, that works out to nearly $16,000 a year.

The report found men and women working in construction had the same median income. But other industries didn't fare so well.

’I think the restaurant business is one of the places where there's quite a gap,’ said Davis.

According to the report , that is true. Men made more than women in restaurants and the food service industry as well as in healthcare fields, at elementary and secondary schools and at colleges.

The gap is especially visible in computer fields where men earned an average of $89,820 compared to $64,000 for women. The cause? Experts say experience and education play a role while discrimination does too.

’I don’t really believe it's conscious. I think it takes a really long time to completely work through the kind of gap we have had,’ Davis said.

That gap doesn't exist at The Dairy Godmother, where most managers are women. Davis knows that's not the case everywhere.

’That is beyond my control. I can only take care of my little kingdom,’ said Davis.

But she says it would be sweet if others followed suit.

The report says Virginia's gender gap hasn't reduced since the early 2000s. The group did not look at the gender income gap in Maryland or D.C.

LINK: The Commonwealth Institute Report