So, women tend to have slightly less experience, less contiguous experiences, and tend to be in more competitive (due to more concentration–they compete with many women and some men for jobs, where men can move to other professions: “That’s it, I’m done with waiting tables, I’m gonna be a miner!”)

Now, lesbians (as #14 points out) may be more welcome in and/or more willing to take jobs outside of the usual stereotypical ‘female’ jobs. Those jobs tend to be higher-paying, since there’s less competition.

And second, it would seem reasonable to assume that: a) lesbians are more likely to adopt, thus taking shorter leaves, b) are less likely to have children, and c) in any lesbian couple that does have children, one will continue working, and so will have the experience benefits of contiguous experience. Based on that, you’d expect, on average, that the wage gap due to experience would halve for lesbians.

And, of course, there’s the definite possibility that some portion of the remaining difference is due to plain old sexism; maybe men feel more comfortable with lesbians somehow, and are more inclined to promote them or work effectively with them.

(sooo tired of this trope being used as an explanation for discrimination)

I think it’s more likely to be what GrrrlRomeo said: “Lesbians are just more accustomed to breaking down and rejecting gender stereotypes and being persistent about it. If my partner and I don’t have a gendered role at home, I’m not going to accept it at work either.”(sorry, don’t know how to quote — html?)

There could certainly be additional explanations though. And it’s not like I have much experience with either being a lesbian or being in the workforce, so my opinion may not count for much on this issue.

Lesbians suffer less from this, as there is an expectation that they won’t have children.

An employer is therefore more likely to give you a better job.

When I had a job, I stuck my neck out and asked for good projects while the other women waited to be appointed. I asked for more money and when I didn’t get it, I quit and started my own business.

I have finger lengths that supposedly suggest higher exposure to testosterone in the womb. Maybe that explains my comfort with taking risks.

Although I’m androgynous, I’m more straight than not. It would be interesting to see research that looked at testosterone markers and not just sexual orientation.

I am not lesbian, but I am happily childfree. I have worked in programming/engineering for 15 years and make far more than my husband does (he likes to keep going back for “one more degree” — which I pay for, we have NO student loans). I know many people but can only think of 2-3 woman friends who haven’t had one or more kids in those 15 years. Raising crotchfruit has a HUGE impact on income for women.

Maybe they’re right.. I never expected my husband to make more than me, so I made it myself. However, it’s not because he can’t, or because he won’t. He has, for years at a time between schooling. We’ve developed this life of him learning/working and me working/learning and it works for us. And nooooo kids to drive to karate practice. :)

Whether some lesbians make more than others

Um, yes, obviously? Unless by “lesbians” you mean “kibbutzniks” or something else completely unrelated.

Also, just for reference, it wasn’t just the average wage of lesbians that was higher, but the standard deviation was nearly double too. That means that there was a far greater spread of wages around the average wage of lesbians than of heterosexual women (in that study).

I’d be curious to see a comparison of childless women vs. men regardless of sexual orientation. Would also be good to check adoptive female parents vs. ones who have had pregnancies.

Most of my lesbian friends are in the traditionally girly professions of nursing and teaching

But aren’t you also in those professions? Most of my lesbian friends are scientists or social workers.

Jobs considered “feminine” come with a lower wage than jobs considered “masculine.”

I thought they just sat on the fence…

*badum*CHING*

It’s the motorcycles.