Whereas most contemporary stratification research attempts to assess the relative influence of individual-level and structural explanations of inequality by focusing on individual earnings attainment processes, the present exploratory study utilizes the two theoretical perspectives to generate hypotheses explaining the distribution or structure of economic rewards within occupations. Intraoccupational earnings dispersion is examined because previous research demonstrates that total overall earnings inequality is more a function of earnings differences within than between occupations. Derived hypotheses are tested using detailed occupational data for males and females from the 1970 U.S. Census. Both human capital and institutional positions are supported, indicating that these perspectives may also be utilized to account for the dispersion or structure of earnings within occupations. Comparison of separate earnings distributions for males and females suggests some gender differences in the processes generating earnings disparities within occupations.
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