Shocking: Are Women The Real Reason For Pay Gap?

America’s gender pay gap; for every dollar a man makes, a woman earns just 80 cents, according to a 2016 Census Bureau report.

It’s plagued every industry and despite the gap being at its narrowest, according to the Census Bureau, it’s still an issue employers need to address.

But do women see themselves as equals to their male counterparts? In short, no.

In a recent survey from ZipRecruiter.com, the fastest growing job board on the web, men and women were asked how much money they would like to earn at their prospective job.

“Our numbers are surprising because they show that the overall desired salary for men - that is, the pay they want to receive at their next job - is a staggering $11,103.65 higher than women,” says Ian Siegel, CEO of ZipRecruiter.

In other words, women are asking for less money than men, for the same job! “It’s unclear why this is, but we advise women to ask for as much as they believe they deserve,” adds Siegel.

ZipRecruiter finds that the industries with the biggest gaps include law, industrial goods and services and science and engineering. There are a few industries women still ask for more including “personal care; for example child care and salons, women asked for an average of $5,512 more than men,” says Siegel.

The gender pay gap has recently become more of a hot-button issue. Just last year, actress Jennifer Lawrence shined a spotlight on the imbalance when the 2015 Sony hack revealed that she only received 7% of box office profits from the film "American Hustle," versus her male co-stars, Bradly Cooper and Christian Bale, who earned 9%.

“I would be lying if I didn’t say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight. I didn’t want to seem ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled,’" Lawrence wrote on fellow actress Lena Dunham’s blog, Lenny.

Is there a solution?

Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and author of "Lean In," says women need to be empowered, trust themselves and push forward in the workplace.

“We need to stop telling [women], 'Get a mentor and you will excel.' Instead, we need to tell them, 'Excel and you will get a mentor,'" writes Sandberg, whose most recent annual income was $18,698,969, according to proxy statements filed for the 2015 fiscal year.

Adds Siegel: “The discrepancy between desired salaries by gender is telling us that this opacity may lead to job seekers not knowing what the ‘right’ amount to ask for is. It’s important that all job seekers, men and women, do their research when it comes to the compensation conversation.”