Data · West Virginia × Media

Women in Media in West Virginia

How women in media fare in West Virginia — state-adjusted pay gap, state ranking, and the national context that frames the local picture.

73.6%
West Virginia overall earnings ratio (women/men)
Census ACS S2001
#48
of 51 jurisdictions for pay equity
Derived from ACS state ratios
26.4%
Unadjusted pay gap in West Virginia
Census ACS
13.4%
Women in West Virginia’s legislature

The state-adjusted picture

Women in media 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's representation in media splits into three separate stories: who writes it, who leads the newsroom, and who appears on-screen. Each has distinct numbers and distinct trajectories. This page tracks current data across print, broadcast, film, and streaming.

Full national data Women in Media: Bylines, Leadership, and On-Screen Representation (2026)

National headline stats (media)

47%
Women among working US journalists (BLS 2024)
BLS CPS 2024 · 2024
40%
Women bylined stories at major US newspapers (Women's Media Center 2024 Status Report)
23%
Women among Hollywood directors of top 100 grossing films (Celluloid Ceiling 2024)
35%
Women among major-newsroom senior editors and executives

Other fields in West Virginia

Media in other states

Related pages

Frequently asked

What is the pay gap for women in media in West Virginia?

West Virginia’s overall pay ratio is 73.6% — a 26.4% gap. The gap within media 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 media data come from?

Women's Media Center — Status of Women in US Media; Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film; USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative