Gender and earnings in academic criminology

Claims of an academic wage gap have been made for years, and many reports suggest that males earn more than females. Some research in this area, however, is merely descriptive and lacks controls; also, many studies are based on data collected in the 1960s and 1970s. Using data collected in 1989, this paper explores the relationship between gender and salary among faculty members in criminology and criminal justice. Overall the findings suggest that wages are comparable for men and for women when research productivity, rank, years of experience, and other relevant variables are controlled. Additional analyses, however, show that males earn significantly more than women in the cohort of faculty members hired before 1975. Explanations for these findings are offered, and suggestions for future research are discussed.