Many of us have witnessed the stunning transformation of Hoda Kotb, and her career path is truly inspiring. After graduation, she kept getting rejected from jobs over and over again, but she didn't give up. When she finally received a job offer from a CBS station in Greenville, Mississippi, things didn't turn out as she had hoped.

At first, Kotb got noticed for her talent and continued to climb the career ladder. In 1998, she joined NBC as a "Dateline" correspondent. Sadly, her salary was so low that she found herself living paycheck to paycheck. "I know for years I was definitely making a fraction of what my male co-anchors were making. I actually never asked because I didn't want to be difficult," Kotb confessed on an episode of "Today with Hoda & Jenna" (via People).

The daytime broadcaster has also recalled how she struggled to pay her bills. "I was like, 'I'll pay this one, and then pay that one.'" Unfortunately, millions of other women are facing the same gender wage gap problem. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women working full-time earn around 83.7% less than their male counterparts. The gender pay gap is even worse for Black, Hispanic, and older women.