Explaining gender differences in self-pay expectations: Social comparison standards and perceptions of fair pay.

This research examined gender differences in self-pay expectations and the factors that mediate these differences. On the basis of Major and Konar's (1984) model, five mediators were considered: career paths, objective job inputs, perceived job inputs, job facet importance, and social comparison standards. The mediating role of a sixth factor, fair pay standards, was also examined. College seniors planning to enter a variety of occupational fields completed the Career Expectations Survey, which assessed their self-pay expectations and the six mediating factors. Findings indicated that, regardless of occupational field, women had lower career-peak self-pay expectations than men