This study examined the relative status of 4,917 deaf male and female respondents (mean age of 25) on the Secondary School Graduate Followup Program for the Deaf survey from the years 1982 through 1989. Graduates were asked questions pertaining to their labor force participation, continuing education activities, occupations, income, and job satisfaction. Among findings were the following: deaf women complete postsecondary programs as often as deaf males (less than half the rate of hearing peers) and usually earn subbaccalaureate degrees; more females than males earn master's level degrees, but females earn doctorates one fourth as often as males; most of the degrees earned by deaf females are in Business and Office programs; without postsecondary education, deaf youth experience high unemployment rates; females, with or without subbaccalaureate degrees, continue to suffer high unemployment rates beyond age 35; deaf women with baccalaureate degrees are usually professionally employed but earn lower salaries than deaf males and similarly employed hearing persons. Deaf women with or without subbaccalaureate degrees are typically employed in clerical positions (especially in medical records), or as semiskilled or unskilled laborers. A listing of postsecondary instructional programs of currently enrolled respondents is appended. (Includes 39 references.) (DB)