Fertility delay has been linked to women’s increased educational attainment, labor force participation, and continuity of employment (Livingston and Cohn 2010). More women today are college graduates postponing childbearing, giving them more time to establish a career and accumulate resources.

Previous research indicates that mothers earn less than non-mothers. Researchers describe this earnings gap as a “wage penalty” or “family gap” associated with motherhood (Budig and England 2001; Waldfogel 1998). The wage gap is sensitive to timing of children as well as educational attainment and type of employment (Anderson, Binder, and Krause 2003; Amuedo-Dorantes and Kimmel 2004).

This poster examines whether mothers earn less than nonmothers across all occupations. It also looks at whether all women benefit economically from fertility delay or if the benefit is concentrated among women in particular occupations.