Women in Academia in West Virginia
How women in academia fare in West Virginia — state-adjusted pay gap, state ranking, and the national context that frames the local picture.
The state-adjusted picture
Women in academia nationally face the same structural conditions as women in every other field — but the overall wage environment in West Virginia modifies the baseline by -12.2% relative to the US average. A state where the overall pay gap is narrower tends to reflect narrower gaps within fields too, though field-specific dynamics dominate for specialized professions.
West Virginia elected its first woman US Senator in 2015.
National context
Women now earn the majority of US doctorates and the majority of early-career postdocs — but hold 33% of full professorships. The leaky pipeline isn't about the front end anymore; it's about tenure, administrative roles, and the step from associate to full professor.
National headline stats (academia)
Other fields in West Virginia
Academia in other states
Related pages
Frequently asked
What is the pay gap for women in academia in West Virginia?
West Virginia’s overall pay ratio is 73.6% — a 26.4% gap. The gap within academia follows the national pattern modified by West Virginia’s overall wage environment. See the full national field data for in-field specifics.
How does West Virginia rank on pay equity?
West Virginia ranks #48 of 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity, per Census ACS state ratios.
How are women represented in West Virginia politics?
13.4% of West Virginia state legislators are women (CAWP 2024). 1 women from West Virginia serve in the 119th US Congress.
Where does the national academia data come from?
NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates; AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey; American Council on Education — Women in Leadership