Good News for Female Veterans

According to the Army Times article, which you can read here, women who had previously served in the armed forces earned nearly $5000 more annually than their non-veteran peers in 2005. Male veterans, on the other hand, earned only $2248 more than non-veteran males. Sadly, female veterans still earn far less than male veterans, which is unfortunately in line with how women get paid all over America.

Many possible explainations for the differences between both female veteran and non-veteran and male and female veterans were offered. One that struck me, though, was given for the imbalance in earning power for female veterans versus women who had never served in the armed forces. The article stated that there is evidence that female vets tend to work longer hours and even more weeks in the year than non-veteran women do.

As a veteran myself, this one seemed to me to be the most likely reason for the imbalance. I know that I, personally, worked longer and harder in the military than I ever had in my life. No one felt sorry for me. No one expected any less of me because I was a relatively small woman. I was there to do a job or complete a task, and come hell or high water, it was going to get done.

That kind of work ethic was drilled into my core. I know that now, no matter what job I do, I'll approach it the way I did in the military. That mentality about hard work stuck with me. (As well as feeling 5 minutes late to an appointment when I'm only 10 minutes early, but that's another story allthogether!) It stuck with other female veterans I know, too.

So it's no surprise to me that my fellow female vets are working their tails off and getting paid for it. Way to go ladies. You make me proud!