Nonbinary and Transgender Identities and Earnings: Evidence from a National Census

Christopher S. Carpenter, Donn Feir, Krishna Pendakur and Casey Warman

American Economic Review: Insights, 2026, vol. 8, issue 1, 36-52

Abstract: We provide the first evidence from a large population census on earnings disparities experienced by nonbinary people—individuals who do not exclusively identify as men or women—and transgender people—individuals whose gender differs from their sex assigned at birth—relative to cisgender people. Using restricted-access 2021 Canadian census data linked to tax records, we find that nonbinary individuals assigned male at birth, transgender men, transgender women, and cisgender women all earn significantly less than comparable cisgender men. Nonbinary individuals assigned female at birth experience an additional earnings penalty. Differences in job sorting explain some of these disparities.

JEL-codes: J16 J31 J71 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Working Paper: Nonbinary and Transgender Identities and Earnings: Evidence from a National Census (2024)
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DOI: 10.1257/aeri.20240571

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