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Which Professions Are Hurt Most By The Pay Gap?
On average, the working female makes 79 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Women earn less than men in just about every single occupation. So, what professions are hurt most by the pay gap? A more targeted study done by Earnest, shows that specific professions in the US are earning closer to their male counterparts, while others are earning significantly less. Some of the results are just as expected, but you might be surprised to learn which occupations are exercising a consistent and remarkable inequality in female earnings.
Service workers such as baristas, cashiers, personal drivers, servers, and bartenders are, on average, earning about 98% of what a man would earn. These numbers reflect in the fact that female cashiers and baristas are reportedly making more in their positions than men. On the other hand, men are earning more than women in positions like bartending, driving, and serving. In the case of drivers, women are making up to 25-30% less than male personal drivers.
Other specialized trade professions ranging from dentists, attorneys, and accountants show a lower payout of 94% for women versus men. On the lowest end of the scale are dentists, making about 80% of what men make. Attorneys come in right around the middle of the chart, showing around 93%. Lastly, Accountants are coming in close behind males in their profession with about 98%.
It’s hard to say what makes a job more valuable when coming from a man, but is is clear than some titles are associated with a particular gender. When someone says the word “dentist” or “barista” some of us may already have a predetermined idea of a particular gender working that job. What’s more interesting is the fact that some of these positions are actually dominated by women. For example, the study at hand shows that female nurses are earning about 90% of what male nurses make. Yet, 91.1% of all nurses are female. How is such a female saturated profession still being hurt by the pay gap? Hopefully, one day, we will have an answer and resolution.

Women in Management

In the same study, research shows that management positions are actually amplifying the gap far more than other sections of employment. In a shocking development, female program managers are earning around 60% of what male program managers make. While this is the most extreme case of inequality in pay inside of the management section, it doesn’t end there.
On average, Process Managers are making 90% of male pay and People Managers are making only 83% in comparison to men. It seems the higher women climb the ladder, the more discrepancy in pay there is to be had. Namely, founders and directors of businesses. The very beginnings of startups aren’t being paid as much as men in their position. Female founders of businesses are coming in at a frightening 30% of what male founders earn. Next on the list are directors, being paid 60% of a male wage. No data supports why this might be at this time, but the evidence is astounding, to say the least.
Data collected in the UK workforce supports findings in the US. On average the female manager made 23% less than a male, which equates to over 1.3 million pounds lost over the span of 5 years. Although, findings say that female CEOs in the UK seem to make just as much as men, which of course differs from the US. In addition, females working in male dominated industries experience less of a pay gap. But one other area that seems to widen the gap in both the US and UK, is parenthood.

Single Mothers are Being Paid Less

Countless studies conclude that women who are parents, especially those who take time off for maternity leave, are consistently paid less. Also included in this area are women who ask for flexible hours and part-time work to be with their children. It seems though employers believe that a woman’s work could be worth less due to the fact that they may need extra time off for child-rearing related tasks.
This begs the question, do single dads get paid less than single mothers? The answer is no. Single fathers make more and often see a pay increase with each additional child. On the opposite side of the spectrum, single mothers are initially paid less and are frequently penalized for each additional child they have.
In 2012 alone, almost 30% of all US kids lived with a single parent. Included in that number are 4 million single mothers who lived below the poverty line. 4 hundred thousand single fathers were reported living under the poverty line that year.

Men Who Negotiate Are Paid More

Studies have shown that 42% of men negotiate their initial salaries as opposed to 22% in women. However, some may argue that bargaining for equal pay shouldn’t be required in order to close the gender pay gap. Two people who are performing the exact same job should be administered a predetermined, and unfaltering, wage.
Some information has provided insight into the world of negotiation. A small survey of about 500 women concluded that women don’t like negotiating as much as men do. 94% of these women said that the believed their accomplishments and efforts would be recognized and rewarded by their employer, so there was no need to negotiate salary. What’s more, a mere 15% of the women surveyed replied that they are effective negotiators.
[RELATED: A Practical Guide to Salary Negotiations]
As a result of this data, many job recruitment sites are offering tips and support for women in order to build up confidence during negotiations. It’s clear to see that negotiating wages is working for men, but if that change can be reflected in women’s pay once they begin to ask for fair pay is still yet to be determined.
It’s clear to see that the pay gap is real. As they say, the best defense is a good offense. Preparing yourself with as much information about inequality in your field is the first step towards correcting the problem. Asking for transparency in wages among the sexes will provide further data on just why this problem has been going on for so long. With some optimism and hard work, let’s hope that together we can end inequality in the workplace.

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