The Big Mac Pay Gap Index

Our interactive tool shows what the pay gap means for you

 

What is the Big Mac Pay Gap Index? (1:27)

How much MORE a Big Mac would cost you
if you adjusted the menu price to reflect the pay gap you face



Please note: The U.S. Census Bureau has not published pay gap data for non-binary Americans

Learn the true cost of
a Big Mac for you

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How we calculate the pay gap

Please note: The U.S. Census Bureau has not published pay gap data for non-binary Americans

The Big Mac Pay Gap Index
How much a Big Mac really costs you - and everyone else

Select a pay gap

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Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac

Big Mac

$6.05

Asian
Male

Big Mac

$6.05

Same as menu price

White
Male

Big Mac

$7.20

$1.15 (19%) more

Asian
Female

Big Mac

$7.38

$1.33 (22%) more

Two or More Races
Male

Big Mac

$8.40

$2.35 (39%) more

White
Female

Big Mac

$8.90

$2.85 (47%) more

Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
Male

Big Mac

$9.45

$3.40 (56%) more

Two or More Races
Female

Big Mac

$9.60

$3.55 (59%) more

Black or African
American Male

Big Mac

$10.43

$4.38 (72%) more

Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
Female

Big Mac

$10.80

$4.75 (79%) more

American Indian or
Alaska Native
Male

Big Mac

$10.80

$4.75 (79%) more

Hispanic or Latino
Male

Big Mac

$10.80

$4.75 (79%) more

Black or African
American Female

Big Mac

$11.00

$4.95 (82%) more

American Indian or
Alaska Native
Female

Big Mac

$11.86

$5.81 (96%) more

Hispanic or Latino
Female

Big Mac

$12.35

$6.30 (104%) more

Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac

Big Mac

$6.05

Male

Big Mac

$6.05

Same as menu price

Female

Big Mac

$7.38

$1.33 (22%) more

Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac

Big Mac

$6.05

Asian

Big Mac

$6.05

Same as menu price

White

Big Mac

$7.54

$1.49 (25%) more

Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander

Big Mac

$9.18

$3.13 (52%) more

Black or
African American

Big Mac

$9.66

$3.61 (60%) more

Two or More Races

Big Mac

$10.20

$4.15 (69%) more

American Indian or
Alaska Native

Big Mac

$10.39

$4.34 (72%) more

Hispanic or Latino

Big Mac

$10.39

$4.34 (72%) more

Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac

Big Mac

$6.05

Hispanic or Latino
Female

Big Mac

$12.35

$6.30 (104%) more

American Indian or
Alaska Native
Female

Big Mac

$11.86

$5.81 (96%) more

Black or African
American Female

Big Mac

$11.00

$4.95 (82%) more

Hispanic or Latino
Male

Big Mac

$10.80

$4.75 (79%) more

American Indian or
Alaska Native
Male

Big Mac

$10.80

$4.75 (79%) more

Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
Female

Big Mac

$10.80

$4.75 (79%) more

Black or African
American Male

Big Mac

$10.43

$4.38 (72%) more

Two or More Races
Female

Big Mac

$9.60

$3.55 (59%) more

Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Island
Male

Big Mac

$9.45

$3.40 (56%) more

White
Female

Big Mac

$8.90

$2.85 (47%) more

Two or More Races
Male

Big Mac

$8.40

$2.35 (39%) more

Asian
Female

Big Mac

$7.38

$1.33 (22%) more

White
Male

Big Mac

$7.20

$1.15 (19%) more

Asian
Male

Big Mac

$6.05

Same as menu price

Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac

Big Mac

$6.05

Female

Big Mac

$7.38

$1.33 (22%) more

Male

Big Mac

$6.05

Same as menu price

Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac

Big Mac

$6.05

Hispanic or Latino

Big Mac

$10.39

$4.34 (72%) more

American Indian or
Alaska Native

Big Mac

$10.39

$4.34 (72%) more

Two or More Races

Big Mac

$10.20

$4.15 (69%) more

Black or
African American

Big Mac

$9.66

$3.61 (60%) more

Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander

Big Mac

$9.18

$3.13 (52%) more

White

Big Mac

$7.54

$1.49 (25%) more

Asian

Big Mac

$6.05

Same as menu price

Why do Asian males pay the least?

Why do males pay the least?

Why do Asians pay the least?

The Big Mac Pay Gap Index is an interactive tool for understanding what the pay gap means for you.

It shows you how much more a Big Mac would cost you after adjusting the menu price to reflect the pay gap you may face.

So, if you experience a pay gap which means that you earn less than others, then the real cost of a Big Mac for you, once adjusted for your pay gap, is proportionately more than the menu price.

Since men, on average, earn 18% more than women, they face no gender pay gap - and so the real cost of a Big Mac for them is the same as the menu price. For women, however, the real cost of the Big Mac is more, due to the pay gap they experience.

Our new tool is inspired by two older ideas.

The first is the pay gap itself - as in the gap between the average earnings of, say, different genders, or race/ethnicities, or both combined.

The second is the Big Mac Index, a well-known currency comparison tool first developed by The Economist as a lighthearted guide to the buying power of different national currencies - based on the cost of a Big Mac in each country and currency.

Our Big Mac Pay Gap Index blends these two ideas to create a new way of understanding the pay gap.

How it works

Step 1

We use official U.S. Census data to assign a pay gap percentage to each identity/demographic.
For example, below you will find percentages for White women, Black men, and Hispanic women...

White Women

18%

Black Men

42%

Hispanic Women

51%

 

Step 2

We use this pay gap percentage to calculate the "buying power" of each gender and race/ethnicity. If the pay gap a particular identity faces is 18%, then their buying power is 0.82 or 82%.

Buying power = 1 - pay gap %

Step 3

We calculate the real cost of a Big Mac for each gender and race/ethnicity by dividing their buying power by the (U.S. average) menu price of a Big Mac.

 

True cost for you =

 

 

Big Mac$6.05

 

 

Buying power

 

How you can help close the pay gap