Medieval women's wages: what twenty women earned beside the men

Twenty women of medieval England stand on a ladder of their own, from a beggar woman to a queen, as twenty men stand on theirs. Here each woman stands beside the man on the same rung: what each earned, in plain words and in today's gold, and the gap between them.

At the top stand the queen and the king: about ⁦$1.5 million⁩ a month in today's gold against ⁦$24 million⁩. The king earned ⁦17⁩ times as much as the queen: she was poorer.

Rung 1: the beggar woman and the beggar
Beggar woman: Alms only, and giving to anyone fit to work was a crime. Source
Beggar: Alms only, and giving to anyone fit to work was a crime. Source
Neither the beggar woman nor the beggar had a wage, only alms: about the same.
Rung 2: the dairymaid and the serf
Dairymaid: Paid in grain, no coins at all. About ⁦$170⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Serf: Paid mostly in grain, plus a few coins twice a year. About ⁦$300⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The serf earned ⁦1.8⁩ times as much as the dairymaid: she was poorer.
Rung 3: the alewife and the farm labourer
Alewife: About 10 pennies clear from each brew, every two weeks. About ⁦$260⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Farm labourer: 2 pennies a day, when there is work. About ⁦$510⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The farm labourer earned ⁦1.9⁩ times as much as the alewife: she was poorer.
Rung 4: the spinster and the foot soldier
Spinster: About 1¼ pennies a day, paid by the pound of wool. About ⁦$320⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Foot soldier: 2 pennies a day, every day of the campaign. About ⁦$730⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The foot soldier earned ⁦2.3⁩ times as much as the spinster: she was poorer.
Rung 5: the household servant and the town labourer
Household servant: 16 pennies a month, plus meals and a bed. About ⁦$370⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Town labourer: 3 pennies a day. About ⁦$760⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The town labourer earned ⁦2⁩ times as much as the household servant: she was poorer.
Rung 6: the embroideress and the longbowman
In the king's embroidery workshop in London in 1330, the women were paid ⁦2¾⁩ pennies a day and the men beside them ⁦4¼⁩ pennies. Source For the same work the men were paid ⁦1.5⁩ times as much: she was poorer.
Embroideress: 2¾ pennies a day; the men beside you got 4¼. About ⁦$700⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Longbowman: 3 pennies a day on campaign. About ⁦$1,100⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The longbowman earned ⁦1.6⁩ times as much as the embroideress: she was poorer.
Rung 7: the harvest reaper and the court jester
At the Pocklington harvest of 1363, twenty-one women took ⁦3⁩ pennies a day and their food, and the two men ⁦4⁩ pennies; nine women took the men's rate. Source For the same work the men were paid ⁦1.3⁩ times as much: she was poorer.
Harvest reaper: 3 pennies a day plus meals at harvest; the men got 4. About ⁦$1,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Court jester: 4½ pennies a day at court, plus a yearly gift and free ale. About ⁦$1,300⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The court jester earned ⁦1.2⁩ times as much as the harvest reaper: she was poorer.
Rung 8: the royal laundress and the master mason
Royal laundress: 5 pounds a year. About ⁦$1,100⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Master mason: 6 pennies a day. About ⁦$1,500⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The master mason earned ⁦1.4⁩ times as much as the royal laundress: she was poorer.
Rung 9: the nun and the parish priest
Nun: The house's 44 pounds a year, shared by eight. About ⁦$1,200⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Parish priest: About 10 pounds a year from church dues and land. About ⁦$2,400⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The parish priest earned ⁦2⁩ times as much as the nun: she was poorer.
Rung 10: the royal midwife and the mercenary
Royal midwife: A pension of 10 pounds a year for delivering the queen's babies. About ⁦$1,600⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Mercenary: About 7 gold florins a month for a horseman. About ⁦$3,100⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The mercenary earned ⁦1.9⁩ times as much as the royal midwife: she was poorer.
Rung 11: the royal wet nurse and the man-at-arms
Royal wet nurse: 20 pounds a year, later doubled to 40. About ⁦$4,400⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Man-at-arms: 12 pennies a day, half a knight's wage. About ⁦$4,400⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The royal wet nurse's month of gold came within a twentieth of the man-at-arms's: about the same.
Rung 12: the prioress and the knight
Prioress: You run a house on 39 pounds a year. About ⁦$5,600⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Knight: 24 pennies a day at war, twelve times a farm hand's. About ⁦$8,800⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The knight earned ⁦1.6⁩ times as much as the prioress: she was poorer.
Rung 13: the lady-in-waiting and the royal physician
Lady-in-waiting: 40 pounds a year in the queen's service. About ⁦$6,500⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Royal physician: 40 pounds a year, for treating the king and nobody else. About ⁦$9,700⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The royal physician earned ⁦1.5⁩ times as much as the lady-in-waiting: she was poorer.
Rung 14: the merchant widow and the merchant
Merchant widow: About 100 pounds a year from trade. About ⁦$24,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Merchant: About 100 pounds a year from trade. About ⁦$24,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The merchant widow's month of gold came within a twentieth of the merchant's: about the same.
Rung 15: the baroness and the baron
Baroness: A third of the barony for life: about 167 pounds a year. About ⁦$41,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Baron: About 500 pounds a year in rents from your lands. About ⁦$120,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The baron earned ⁦3⁩ times as much as the baroness: she was poorer.
Rung 16: the abbess and the earl
Abbess: 1,166 pounds a year, the richest nunnery in England. About ⁦$170,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Earl: About 1,500 pounds a year from land. About ⁦$370,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The earl earned ⁦2.2⁩ times as much as the abbess: she was poorer.
Rung 17: the countess and the abbot
Countess: About 2,000 pounds a year from your share of the family lands. About ⁦$490,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Abbot: 3,311 pounds a year, the richest abbey in England. About ⁦$480,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The countess's month of gold came within a twentieth of the abbot's: about the same.
Rung 18: the royal mistress and the bishop
Royal mistress: 2,000–3,000 pounds a year in land and gifts, by Parliament's count. About ⁦$610,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Bishop: About 2,600 pounds a year. About ⁦$630,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The royal mistress's month of gold came within a twentieth of the bishop's: about the same.
Rung 19: the duchess and the duke
Duchess: 5,000 marks a year: about 3,333 pounds. About ⁦$730,000⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
Duke: About 10,000 pounds a year. About ⁦$2.4 million⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The duke earned ⁦3.3⁩ times as much as the duchess: she was poorer.
Rung 20: the queen and the king
Queen: 10,000 marks a year for life: about 6,667 pounds. About ⁦$1.5 million⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
King: About 100,000 pounds a year, mostly customs duties on wool. About ⁦$24 million⁩ a month in today's gold. Source
The king earned ⁦17⁩ times as much as the queen: she was poorer.