Alison Cardwell is one of the 6% percent of women that are driving commercial trucks in the U.S. — a number that has risen from 4.5% in 2003. Photo by the Women in Trucking Association.

A new study ranks Fresno as one of the worst-paying for women.

Financial information and consumer advocate website Smartest Dollar’s recent study places Fresno as the sixth worst-paying large U.S. metro for women.

According to the study from financial information website Smartest Dollars, women working full-time in the Fresno metro area earn an adjusted median wage of $44,326 annually, compared to the $49,263 national median.

The study analyzed 350 metros in all 50 states, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’ Regional Price Parities.

To determine the best paying locations, researchers calculated the median annual wage for women working full time, adjusted for cost of living.

The best paying large U.S. metro is the San Jose area with an actual median annual wage for full-time women at $83,414.

The San-Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro ranks second best, with an actual median annual wage for full-time women at $80,497.

Out of the large U.S. metros, Miami, Florida ranked last, with an actual median annual wage for full-time women at $42,403.

The study notes that in the three years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, more women have left their companies for more flexible arrangements, including hybrid work. This may have caused women to miss out on opportunities for career advancement.

However, for the women who have continued in the workforce, wage growth has accelerated in recent years. In 2012, women had a median inflation adjusted wage of $43,074 — that figured jumped up 6.6% to $49,263 by 2021.