Best and Worst States for working women 2022

Overall score for working women: How the states rank

How does your state rank? The index covers all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. This map illustrates the combined scores of the three dimensions (wage policies, worker protections, and rights to organize).

Table of state rankings | Methodology | Report

State scorecards

Review full information on how each state scores on the full range of labor policies.

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The three policy areas: How the states rank for working women

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Wage Policies

Since women make up the majority of the tipped workforce-and many are supporting families-this dimension considers how far the tipped minimum wage goes to cover the cost of living for a family of three (one wage earner and two children).

The tipped wage assumes that customers will compensate workers directly, and that employers will ensure that servers earn at least the state minimum wage if tips are insufficient. However, the enforcement of that mandate is rare, which leads to rampant wage theft and inadequate compensation. Also, reliance on customers leads to high levels of sexual harassment of tipped workers.

Increasing the tipped wage boosts income, reduces sexual harassment, and narrows both the gender and racial pay gaps.

Table of state rankings | Methodology | Report

The Best States for Working Women Index: How the states rank overall and by policy area

Number of states to show

State Rankings, sorted by Rank (ascending)

1	Oregon	87.39	86.93	83.33	100.00
2	California	82.96	89.80	75.00	100.00
3	New York	75.44	52.21	75.00	100.00
4	Illinois	74.03	45.13	75.00	100.00
5	Washington	70.00	100.00	50.00	100.00
6	Connecticut	69.08	32.91	70.83	100.00
7	Massachusetts	68.83	31.65	70.83	100.00
8	New Jersey	67.37	24.35	70.83	100.00
9	Nevada	65.48	64.90	54.17	100.00
10	Minnesota	65.43	68.81	52.78	100.00
11	Puerto Rico	63.29	3.94	70.83	100.00
12	District of Columbia	62.18	40.08	56.94	100.00
13	Hawaii	61.08	55.39	50.00	100.00
14	Colorado	59.75	61.25	45.83	100.00
15	Rhode Island	55.55	15.27	54.17	100.00
16	Vermont	55.06	37.80	45.83	100.00
17	Maine	53.01	40.06	41.67	100.00
18	Maryland	52.17	10.86	50.00	100.00
19	New Mexico	49.99	8.30	47.22	100.00
20	Alaska	47.18	69.24	22.22	100.00
21	Virginia	46.67	0.00	44.44	100.00
22	Montana	46.27	64.70	22.22	100.00
23	New Hampshire	43.68	10.07	36.11	100.00
24	Florida	42.73	46.98	22.22	100.00
25	Michigan	42.45	16.41	31.94	100.00
26	Arizona	41.72	66.93	30.56	50.00
27	Delaware	40.29	1.45	33.33	100.00
28	Missouri	40.01	33.38	22.22	100.00
29	South Dakota	39.33	29.99	22.22	100.00
30	Indiana	38.67	1.71	30.56	100.00
31	Ohio	38.65	26.59	22.22	100.00
32	Oklahoma	38.64	1.54	30.56	100.00
33	Iowa	37.41	20.38	22.22	100.00
34	Nebraska	36.94	1.38	27.78	100.00
35	Idaho	35.47	10.66	22.22	100.00
36	Pennsylvania	34.74	7.04	22.22	100.00
37	Wisconsin	33.96	3.13	22.22	100.00
38	Tennessee	33.76	2.11	22.22	100.00
39	Kansas	33.68	1.74	22.22	100.00
40	North Dakota	28.46	25.61	22.22	50.00
41	Louisiana	26.98	1.56	27.78	50.00
42	Arkansas	24.58	6.21	22.22	50.00
43	West Virginia	24.51	5.87	22.22	50.00
44	Wyoming	23.77	2.18	22.22	50.00
45	Kentucky	23.73	1.99	22.22	50.00
46	Utah	23.37	0.18	22.22	50.00
47	South Carolina	13.70	1.81	22.22	0.00
48	Texas	13.57	1.19	22.22	0.00
49	Georgia	13.51	0.91	22.22	0.00
50	Mississippi	10.39	1.93	0.00	50.00
51	Alabama	10.31	1.55	16.67	0.00
52	North Carolina	3.51	0.91	5.56	0.00

Methodology

All data is based on laws and policies in effect as of July 1, 2023.

The index is based on state policies in three dimensions: wages (20% of overall score); worker protections (60% of overall score); and rights to organize (20% of overall score).

View full spreadsheets of the data.

Wage policies

This dimension considers whether the state has raised the tipped minimum wage above the federal minimum of $2.13; women make up the vast majority of the tipped workforce.

What is the ratio of the tipped minimum wage to cost of living for one earner and two dependents?

Worker protection policies

This dimension considers policies affecting quality of life for working women, especially mothers. Among the data points in this dimension:

Mandate that pumping breaks for breastfeeding workers be paid breaks.
Mandates for equal pay, pay secrecy, and no salary history.
Mandates for paid family and sick leave.
Protections around flexible scheduling, reporting pay, split shift pay, advance notice.
Protections against sexual harassment.
Extension of workers’ rights and protections to domestic workers (a federally excluded labor group).

Right to organize policies

This dimension considers policies affecting public school teachers, more than three quarters of whom are women.

Right to organize for public school teachers.

Overall	#51
Wage policies	#44
Worker protections	#50
Rights to organize	#48
Tipped wage	$2.13 5.75% of cost of living*