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MyBankTracker Survey: Majority of Women Would Rather Reveal Their Weight Than Salary
February 26, 2021

Nearly 52% report being paid less than a male coworker with the same experience

Foster City, CA – February 25, 2021 – The pandemic’s economic impact seems to vary by gender. The National Women’s Law Center notes 55% of the net 9.8 million jobs lost since February 2020 were held by women; this could exacerbate financial inequality. Women already experience a pay gap, so securing their financial future is all the more urgent. Should women be more open about salary to help achieve equal pay? In advance of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, MyBankTracker.com releases new survey results from approximately 1,000 women and 1,000 men on their comfort level revealing their salary.

Highlights

  • More than 60% of women surveyed would rather disclose their weight (63%) 
    • Only 37% of women prefer to reveal their salary
    • Females ages 18-24 are the most comfortable sharing their salary (40.79%)
  • Just 20% of men surveyed would reveal their salary information while 80% prefer to disclose their weight
    • Men ages 35-44 are the most comfortable revealing their salary (24.05%)
  • Generally, female respondents are more comfortable discussing their salary than their weight as age increases
  • Women ages 35-44 are most likely (60.71%) to have, at one point, been paid less than a male coworker with the same experience

It turns out neither sex is especially comfortable revealing their salary. With millions unemployed and emergency funds depleted, why is talking about salary still unthinkable?

Would you rather reveal your weight or your salary?

Women:                                     

Age

Salary

Weight

18-24

40.79%

59.21%

25-34

33.75%

66.25%

35-44

36.53%

63.47%

45-54

36.11%

63.89%

55-64

37.80%

62.20%

65+

40.22%

59.78%

Total

37.28%

62.72%

Men:

Age

Salary

Weight

18-24

19.40%

80.60%

25-34

19.14%

80.86%

35-44

24.05%

75.95%

45-54

17.86%

82.14%

55-64

16.90%

83.10%

65+

20.97%

79.03%

Total

19.55%

80.45%

 Prior to COVID-19, slightly more women were employed than men. However, women accounted for 100% of the jobs lost in December 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while men gained jobs. Other women left the workforce, likely to take care of family. Some have coined this period the “she-cession” and fear it could widen the gender wealth gap and retirement planning gap. Income is a major contributing factor to both, but the gender pay gap was around long before COVID-19.


Have you ever been paid less than a male coworker for the same job even though he has/had the same amount of experience as you?

  • More than 50% of the women surveyed say they’ve been paid less (51.8%)
  • Those ages 35-44 report they experienced being paid less than a male coworker more than any other age group - more than 60% responded yes

Age

Yes

No

I prefer
not to say

18-24

44.03%

42.54%

13.43%

25-34

46.58%

42.24%

11.18%

35-44

60.71%

29.76%

9.52%

45-54

54.82%

38.07%

7.11%

55-64

56.18%

38.76%

5.06%

65+

46.11%

45.00%

8.89%

Total

51.77%

39.29%

8.94%


View the complete analysis: Survey: Would You Rather Reveal Your Weight or Your Salary?

Methodology

The studies were conducted through Google Surveys on behalf of MyBankTracker from:

  • February 3-9, 2021 with 971 female respondents in the United States ages 18 and older with a standard deviation of +/- 1.8%
  • February 11, 2021 with 982 male respondents in the United States ages 18 and older with a standard deviation of +/-5%
  • February 12-14, 2021 with 1,018 female respondents in the United States ages 18 and older with a standard deviation of +/- 1.8%

MyBankTracker’s senior research analyst and author of the study, Simon Zhen, is available for comment. He can provide insight into how solidifying an investment strategy or even working with a financial professional can help women offset the wage gap that millions experience and help secure their financial future. Zhen is a personal finance expert with more than a decade of experience in the banking industry.


About MyBankTracker
MyBankTracker is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (Nasdaq:QNST), a leader in providing performance marketplace technologies and services to the financial services and home services industries. QuinStreet is a pioneer in delivering online marketplace solutions to match searchers with brands in digital media. The company is committed to providing consumers with the information and tools they need to research, find and select the products and brands that meet their needs. MyBankTracker is a member of QuinStreet’s expert research and publishing division.

MyBankTracker is an independent comparison website helping consumers make smart banking and financial decisions. The mission is to match consumers to their perfect bank by providing and tracking in-depth information on more than 5,000 banks, credit unions and financial products. Using a combination of technology and money management expertise, MBT provides personal finance comparison tools and educates consumers to optimize their relationships with banks and lenders.

Twitter:@mybanktracker
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/mybanktracker

Media contact
Amy Eury
Public Relations Manager
412-532-9352
aeury@quinstreet.com
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