Data · Kentucky × US Government

Women in US Government in Kentucky

How women in us government fare in Kentucky — state-adjusted pay gap, state ranking, and the national context that frames the local picture.

79.6%
Kentucky overall earnings ratio (women/men)
Census ACS S2001
#32
of 51 jurisdictions for pay equity
Derived from ACS state ratios
20.4%
Unadjusted pay gap in Kentucky
Census ACS
26.8%
Women in Kentucky’s legislature

The state-adjusted picture

Women in us government nationally face the same structural conditions as women in every other field — but the overall wage environment in Kentucky modifies the baseline by -5.0% 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.

Kentucky has never elected a woman US Senator.

National context

Beyond Congress: women in federal agencies, the judiciary, state executives, and local government. Where the progress has been, where it's stalled, and where the next decade's inflections are likely.

Full national data Women in US Government: Numbers, Trends, and Representation (2026)

National headline stats (us government)

28.2%
Women in 119th US Congress (House + Senate, 2025-27)
CAWP Rutgers · 2025
36%
Women among Article III federal judges (as of 2026)
40%
Women in Presidential Cabinet (Secretary level) in current administration
33.7%
Women in state legislatures (US average)

Other fields in Kentucky

US Government in other states

Related pages

Frequently asked

What is the pay gap for women in us government in Kentucky?

Kentucky’s overall pay ratio is 79.6% — a 20.4% gap. The gap within us government follows the national pattern modified by Kentucky’s overall wage environment. See the full national field data for in-field specifics.

How does Kentucky rank on pay equity?

Kentucky ranks #32 of 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity, per Census ACS state ratios.

How are women represented in Kentucky politics?

26.8% of Kentucky state legislators are women (CAWP 2024). 1 women from Kentucky serve in the 119th US Congress.

Where does the national us government data come from?

Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), Rutgers; Federal Judicial Center; OPM Federal Workforce Data