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
???
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
Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac
$6.05
Asian
Male
$6.05
Same as menu price
White
Male
$7.20
$1.15 (19%) more
Asian
Female
$7.38
$1.33 (22%) more
Two or More Races
Male
$8.40
$2.35 (39%) more
White
Female
$8.90
$2.85 (47%) more
Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
Male
$9.45
$3.40 (56%) more
Two or More Races
Female
$9.60
$3.55 (59%) more
Black or African
American Male
$10.43
$4.38 (72%) more
Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
Female
$10.80
$4.75 (79%) more
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Male
$10.80
$4.75 (79%) more
Hispanic or Latino
Male
$10.80
$4.75 (79%) more
Black or African
American Female
$11.00
$4.95 (82%) more
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Female
$11.86
$5.81 (96%) more
Hispanic or Latino
Female
$12.35
$6.30 (104%) more
Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac
$6.05
Male
$6.05
Same as menu price
Female
$7.38
$1.33 (22%) more
Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac
$6.05
Asian
$6.05
Same as menu price
White
$7.54
$1.49 (25%) more
Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
$9.18
$3.13 (52%) more
Black or
African American
$9.66
$3.61 (60%) more
Two or More Races
$10.20
$4.15 (69%) more
American Indian or
Alaska Native
$10.39
$4.34 (72%) more
Hispanic or Latino
$10.39
$4.34 (72%) more
Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac
$6.05
Hispanic or Latino
Female
$12.35
$6.30 (104%) more
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Female
$11.86
$5.81 (96%) more
Black or African
American Female
$11.00
$4.95 (82%) more
Hispanic or Latino
Male
$10.80
$4.75 (79%) more
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Male
$10.80
$4.75 (79%) more
Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
Female
$10.80
$4.75 (79%) more
Black or African
American Male
$10.43
$4.38 (72%) more
Two or More Races
Female
$9.60
$3.55 (59%) more
Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Island
Male
$9.45
$3.40 (56%) more
White
Female
$8.90
$2.85 (47%) more
Two or More Races
Male
$8.40
$2.35 (39%) more
Asian
Female
$7.38
$1.33 (22%) more
White
Male
$7.20
$1.15 (19%) more
Asian
Male
$6.05
Same as menu price
Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac
$6.05
Female
$7.38
$1.33 (22%) more
Male
$6.05
Same as menu price
Average U.S. retail
price of a Big Mac
$6.05
Hispanic or Latino
$10.39
$4.34 (72%) more
American Indian or
Alaska Native
$10.39
$4.34 (72%) more
Two or More Races
$10.20
$4.15 (69%) more
Black or
African American
$9.66
$3.61 (60%) more
Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
$9.18
$3.13 (52%) more
White
$7.54
$1.49 (25%) more
Asian
$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.
$6.05
Buying power
How you can help close the pay gap
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Welcome to The Big Mac Pay Gap Index
It shows you what the pay gap means for you...
...by revealing how much more a Big Mac really costs you -
if you adjust the menu price to reflect the pay gap you face.