Same Career, Same Salary: Being a Woman in the Workforce

Being a powerful and successful woman comes with many challenges and obstacles to overcome. You don’t need to be working in a big, fancy, corporate office to feel some of the backlash that comes with being a female; challenges face women everywhere.

There is no doubt that women have more opportunities than ever before; from more leadership positions, management roles, and acceptance in a variety of STEM jobs that weren’t prevalent in years past. That being said, women tend not to hold some of the highest positions in companies, and often face wage discrimination. In 2015, only 39.2% of women held a managers role, while having 73.3% of women in Human Resources careers. In California (as of 2016) a woman’s average pay was $42,000 while a man’s was $50,000. This means that women are paid 84 cents for every dollar that a man receives, leaving an $8,000 gap of pay between men and women, even if they have the same exact job.

It has been argued that this wage gap exists because men are able (or more willing) to do jobs women can’t (or don’t want) to do. However, there are plenty of women in male-dominated yet they still get paid less while doing the same jobs. 

Systemic bias exists in the workforce. It’s important for hiring managers, CEOs, and anyone working to overcome stereotypes of women in the workplace. For example, single mothers with children are paid significantly less that single fathers. Women with families are de-valued while men with families are not.

In the long run, women being paid less than men will slowly ruin the economy, because they will have less money to spend on goods and other things needed. In California, an average of $30 billion is lost every year due to women being paid less. One thing is clear – women should be paid equal for equal work.