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The relationship of marital status, spouse’s career status, and gender to salary level

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Abstract

The relationship of marital status, spouse’s career status, and gender to salary was examined from five different theoretical perspectives for a sample of managers and professionals in one large organization. Results showed that married individuals whose spouses did not have careers earned more than anyone except those who were divorced, controlling for age, education, type of position, job location, organizational tenure, and job tenure. Results also showed that individuals who had never been married earned the least, women earned less than men, and men with children at home earned more than men with no children at home. These findings are discussed in terms of the different theoretical perspectives, within a changing social content.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Suffolk University, USA

    Jacqueline Landau & Michael B. Arthur

Authors
  1. Jacqueline Landau
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  2. Michael B. Arthur
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We are deeply indebted to George Klemp and Bernard Cullen for their help in the development of this article.

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Landau, J., Arthur, M.B. The relationship of marital status, spouse’s career status, and gender to salary level. Sex Roles 27, 665–681 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02651096

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