Similar studies that I'll try to track down have it down to hours worked. Unmarried women in the same profession continued to display the same earnings as men.

Similar studies that I'll try to track down have it down to hours worked. Unmarried women in the same profession continued to display the same earnings as men. It may have extended to married women without children, but I can't recall- I'll update when I find the study. The argument that the data supported is as follows: fewer hours worked (counting the expected or not unpaid overtime) led to smaller raises and fewer promotions. Subsequent raises and promotions are based on the resultant salaries and titles, leading to a snowball effect. Maternal leave puts the whole process on pause and puts a mother behind on the snowball process.