THE INFLUENCE OF GENDER ON FACULTY SALARIES IN THE UNITED-STATES, 1969-89

This study estimates the earnings differential between the male and fe male faculty in the United States over a period of two decades (1969-1 989). Five micro-level data sets are used for this purpose. A modified version of the widely used Oaxaca model is used in the estimations. I t is found that the racial earnings gap narrowed considerably more tha n did the gender earnings differential over this period. A higher male -female earnings gap at the professor level relative to junior ranks s uggests that relatively recent entrants in the academic labour market face a less discriminatory environment than did their predecessors. A controversial finding is that the 'discriminatory component of the ear nings differential between male and female faculty fell between 1969 a nd 1984, but rose thereafter.