Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — On average, it takes women 15 months to make the same salary men earn in 12.

"Given the fact that there is still a wage gap of about 23 percent, it takes another three months into this new year for women's wages to catch up with men's, on average," said Kerri Day Keller, director of Kansas State University's career and employment services.

The American Association of University Women has deemed April 8 Equal Pay Day. It's a symbolic day to represent the pay difference between men and women. A new report on gender pay gap from the association shows that some states are doing better than others when it comes to equal pay. Women in the District of Columbia earn 10 percent less than men, making it the place with the smallest pay gap between genders. The state with the largest gap is Wyoming, where women earn about 35 percent less than men annually.

Kansas State University hosts free workshops designed to provide college women with knowledge and skills to negotiate equitable salaries and benefits. Keller says women are socially conditioned to be nice and are usually uncomfortable talking about their salary.

"Often times women don't even ask about additional salary and additional benefits," Keller said. "This is not about being nice or not nice. This is about looking at what value you bring to a particular organization and asking for a fair and equitable salary for that."

Keller suggests doing your homework before you negotiate. Know how much value you will bring the company and use websites like http://www.salary.com to find an average salary for your desired job. Also, don't negotiate your salary until you already have an offer in hand.

For more information, contact career and employment services at 785-532-6506.