The 19 jobs in the US with the biggest gender pay gaps

• The gender pay gap varies quite a bit between different occupations.

• Using census data, Business Insider analyzed which jobs tend to have larger gender pay gaps.

Gender pay gap numbers can be disheartening — but they're not always easy to interpret.

Many statistics — like the popular "79 cents to the dollar" adage — fail to take into account women of color. What's more, the gap often varies based on location. That goes for occupations, too.

Business Insider analyzed data from the US Census Bureau's 2016 American Community Survey to find out which occupations have the largest gender wage gaps in the US.

The survey focused on the median earnings for both male and female full-time, year-round workers over the age of 16. Many of the jobs that we found to have high wage gaps are blue collar roles, where women make up a fraction of the employee pool.

Here are the jobs with the biggest gender pay gaps:

Paperhangers

Average wages for men: $51,503

Average wages for women: $30,208

Number of male workers: 1,494

Number of female workers: 636

Female paperhangers make 58.7% as much as male paperhangers.

Lifeguards and other recreational protective service workers

Average wages for men: $36,282

Average wages for women: $21,087

Number of male workers: 15,453

Number of female workers: 8,895

Female lifeguards and other recreational protective service workers make 58.1% as much as male lifeguards and other recreational protective service workers.

Financial clerks

Average wages for men: $80,037

Average wages for women: $45,021

Number of male workers: 47,844

Number of female workers: 54,806

Female financial clerks make 56.3% as much as male financial clerks.

Metal and plastic drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders

Average wages for men: $46,574

Average wages for women: $25,953

Number of male workers: 3,563

Number of female workers: 694

Female drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders make 55.7% as much as male drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders.

Industrial and utility electrical and electronics repairers

Average wages for men: $62,348

Average wages for women: $34,616

Number of male workers: 11,189

Number of female workers: 453

Female industrial and utility electrical and electronics repairers make 55.5% as much as male industrial and utility electrical and electronics repairers

Hazardous materials removal workers

Average wages for men: $40,524

Average wages for women: $22,296

Number of male workers: 19,634

Number of female workers: 4,013

Female hazardous materials removal workers make 55.0% as much as male hazardous materials removal workers.

Miscellaneous mathematical science professionals

Average wages for men: $85,022

Average wages for women: $46,676

Number of male workers: 1,616

Number of female workers: 1,425

Female miscellaneous mathematical science professionals make 54.9% as much as male miscellaneous mathematical science professionals

Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders

Average wages for men: $36,218

Average wages for women: $19,670

Number of male workers: 3,859

Number of female workers: 2,906

Female adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders make 54.3% as much as male adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders.

Automotive body and related repairers

Average wages for men: $40,984

Average wages for women: $21,989

Number of male workers: 117,442

Number of female workers: 2,112

Female automotive body repairers make 53.7% as much as male automotive body repairers.

Metal and plastic heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders

Average wages for men: $45,883

Average wages for women: $24,395

Number of male workers: 6,135

Number of female workers: 339

Female heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders make 53.3% as much as male heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders.

Home appliance repairers

Average wages for men: $39,861

Average wages for women: $21,141

Number of male workers: 27,938

Number of female workers: 1,332

Female home appliance repairers make 53.0% as much as male home appliance repairers.

Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents

Average wages for men: $115,432

Average wages for women: $58,726

Number of male workers: 142,840

Number of female workers: 56,699

Female securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents make 50.9% as much as male securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents.

Elevator installers and repairers

Average wages for men: $85,281

Average wages for women: $41,783

Number of male workers: 22,119

Number of female workers: 455

Female elevator installers and repairers make 49.0% as much as male machine elevator installers and repairers

Extraction workers

Average wages for men: $55,503

Average wages for women: $26,987

Number of male workers: 36,346

Number of female workers: 1,293

Female extraction workers make 48.6% as much as male extraction workers.

Dancers and choreographers

Average wages for men: $51,586

Average wages for women: $24,844

Number of male workers: 1,468

Number of female workers: 5,088

Female dancers and choreographers make 48.2% as much as male dancers and choreographers.

Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers

Average wages for men: $46,449

Average wages for women: $21,283

Number of male workers: 18,438

Number of female workers: 881

Female electric motor, power tool, and related repairers make 45.8% as much as male electric motor, power tool, and related repairers.

Motion picture projectionists

Average wages for men: $49,900

Average wages for women: $21,932

Number of male workers: 1,065

Number of female workers: 238

Female motion picture projectionists make 44.0% as much as male motion picture projectionists.

Septic tank service workers and sewer pipe cleaners

Average wages for men: $41,925

Average wages for women: $16,726

Number of male workers: 8,970

Number of female workers: 174

Female septic tank service workers and sewer pipe cleaners make 39.9% as much as male septic tank service workers and sewer pipe cleaners.

Metal and plastic milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders

Average wages for men: $43,523

Average wages for women: $11,674

Number of male workers: 1,510

Number of female workers: 288

Female milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders make 26.8% as much as male milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders.

Have you experienced pay inequality in the workplace? Email acain@businessinsider.com.