While the wage gap is a national problem, certain states perform better than others when it comes to the gender earnings ratio.
To draw attention to this and other obstacles women face in the workplace, the Institute for Women's Policy Research recently analyzed data from the US government, and released a report that provides state by state comparisons of women's earnings and several compelling charts.
One of the more fascinating charts of the report reveals the median income for women (who work full time) in each state.
They earn the most in Washington DC ($60,000), and the least in Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, and South Dakota ($30,000).
Director of the study Ariane Hegewisch spoke with Business Insider and helped explain some of the findings: "Because DC is a sight of government employment, they are more likely to stick to equal employment opportunity procedures. There's more of an emphasis on transparency and equality when people are recruited. A lot of it also has to do with the overall structure of the economy. Washington DC has a lot of good professional jobs that require a university education, while in places like Idaho and West Virginia, the opportunities for professional managerial work are very limited."
Here is the full chart: