On Equal Pay Day today, so much will be made of the pay gap.
We already know that it’s actually really small and largely driven by the work choices that women and men make. More on this here.
But in some jobs women’s earnings don’t just match men’s earnings, they surpass them.
According to Glassdoor analysis, here are 10 jobs in which women outearn men and by how much more:
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Merchandiser – 7.8 percent
(Women earn on average about 108 cents per dollar earned by men in the same job title, same company, and with similar background and experience.) - Research assistant – 5.9 percent
- Field services – 5.8 percent
- Inventory specialist – 5.6 percent
- Social worker – 3 percent
- Logistics manager – 3 percent
- Purchasing specialist – 2.5 percent
- Solutions specialist – 1.5 percent
- Military officer – 1.5 percent
- Communications associate – 1.1 percent
These are positions which carry good middle-class salaries and above and many are growing.
The median annual wage for social workers was $47,980 in May 2017 and is projected to grow 16 percent from 2016 to 2026. This is much faster average for all occupations and driven by increased demand for healthcare and social services.
However, the outlook is not so sunny for some jobs like merchandisers. The median annual wage for purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents (in which merchandiser would fall) was $66,610 in May 2017, but jobs in this field are projected to decline 3 percent from 2016 to 2026 due to increased automation and outsourcing of some procurement tasks.
Women are doing well in the workforce today. Gender discrimination in pay is not as rampant as activists and the media will suggest.
Where there is demonstrated discrimination, we have a federal agency (EEOC) to pursue those cases, but let’s be honest about the wage gap.
Even more, let’s arm women with information on the jobs and industries in which they can maximize pay, but respect if they choose to maximize flexibility, fulfillment or something else they value above pay.