Is It Who You Are or What You Do? Gender-Based Occupational Segregation and Pay Inequities in State-Level Public Sector Leadership Positions

Abstract

Despite decades of equity initiatives, gender-based inequities persist in public-sector leadership. The public sector serves as a sheltered labor market, shielding vulnerable employees from economic discrimination; however, despite this, women in the public sector continue to be underrepresented and underpaid. Using 2022 data from Arkansas, Connecticut, and Texas ( N = 46,027), this study examines representation and compensation across administrative and professional positions, guided by Lowi’s policy typology. Using descriptive analyses, our findings indicate women achieve parity in some administrative/professional positions but pay equity is rare. Whereas, using predictive analyses, our findings indicate that gender significantly predicts annual salary for many positions. Further, our findings imply potential structural and cultural barriers hindering gender equity and underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing position-specific dynamics. We conclude that in order to advance gender equity in public sector leadership, policy makers, public administrators, and agency heads should track pay practices and support flexible work arrangements.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. State and Local Government Review, 2026 · DOI ↗