Despite efforts over the years, women still make up a small percentage of workers in construction and face a considerable wage gap compared to their male counterparts.

Let’s take a closer look behind the construction curtain:

Constructing a Gap in the Industry

The construction industry is a male-dominated field, with women making up only a small percentage of the workforce. In fact, as reported by the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER), “nearly 90% of the industry is male.”

This gender gap has been present for decades and reflects the larger societal issue concerning workplace equality. Stereotypes and entrenched biases have contributed to this wage gap by discouraging women from entering the field due to their perceived inability or lack of capability.

Specifically, the construction industry is disproportionately male-dominated due to longstanding societal and cultural norms that have seen women traditionally viewed as unsuited for manual labor. This has created a lack of diversity in the workforce, with men making up the majority in most construction sites; women who are in construction are more likely to be behind a desk.

Additionally, other factors like lower pay, fewer opportunities to advance within the field, and lack of support networks are often cited as reasons why more women do not pursue a career in this industry.

Wait — Wages Matter, Too

As a result of all of the aforementioned, there are limited opportunities for growth or career advancement for women within construction. Moreover, an imbalance in wages between men and women has remained pervasive in the overall industry.

For example, according to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), women earn just 74 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts in the construction field at large. With regard to managerial roles in specific, women make approximately 86 cents for every dollar earned by a male colleague.

This wage gap is not only alarming but is also reflective of the larger societal issue concerning workplace equality in the United States.

Closing the Construction Gap

In order to create an environment where workplace equality and equitable distribution of resources between genders is possible, there need to be initiatives that focus on promoting diversity in the industry by encouraging more women to enter or continue working in construction fields.

Some actions leaders might take could include…

• Providing more leadership roles for women
• Creating mentoring programs
• Implementing policies that favor equitable wages
• Establishing guidelines against sexual harassment or discrimination
• Offering educational support like specialized courses or training sessions targeted towards female workers
• And more

Together, these steps can help create a more diverse and inclusive workplace that ultimately benefits everyone involved regardless of gender identity or background.

But what do you think? Are you in construction, or do you know someone who is and deserves a moment in the spotlight? Because we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!

The post S.H.E. Matters: Breaking Down the Boys’ Club That is Construction appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

But how might their job fit into the larger picture?

The Inconsistence of Industries

The pay gap won’t look the same between any two working women, seeing as the industry they work in may largely dictate just how large the gap is — as well as whether or it will begin to close or widen further over time.

For example, in the food service industry, Statista reports that women make a median earning of about $521 per week, whereas men make approximately $617 per week in the same position.

But this gap is still relatively small compared to other industries, particularly if they are considered male-dominated.

That being said, “male-dominated fields — like tech, for example — tend to pay better than ones where women make up the majority, regardless of the level of skill or experience required for the roles,” CodeAcademy points out.

But that doesn’t mean that the pay gap doesn’t exist for women in these fields at an even wider gap than others. Let’s take a look at IT, for example…

It’s All in the Numbers

Oftentimes, the problems may start on Day 1. In fact, “59% of the time, men were offered higher salaries than women for the same job title at the same company in 2020, compared to 65% in 2019,” a report by Hired revealed.

And when women start at a financial disadvantage compared to their male colleagues, the difference adds up and only makes it increasingly difficult to catch up for the duration of their career.

“Median total compensation for female IT pros in 2021 was $105,000, the same as it was in 2020,” as reported by InformationWeek. That compares to the median total compensation for male IT pros of $128,000 in 2021, up from $125,000 in 2020.”

Thus, even those women in the revered STEM field may still struggle to earn the salary that matches their overall skill, experience, and expertise.

Where the Problem STEMs From

There are numerous factors that contribute to the overall gender wage gap — the likes of which often intersect with race — but what may contribute to the gap in technology, specifically?

“Stanford researchers who studied this disparity discovered that there is in fact one credential that separates these new hires: self-confidence,” according to the Stanford Graduate School of Business. “Employers in engineering and computer science fields appear to offer higher starting salaries to applicants who present as self-assured, and those applicants are mostly men.”

In other words, employers are more likely to judge a candidate’s productivity and success based on a slight behavioral difference while in the interview room… the likes of which have nothing to do with their actual competence.

This may be especially concerning as research suggests female students demonstrate less overall confidence in both math and science compared to their male classmates.

Thus, it is increasingly important that we support female students and entry-level women in STEM to ensure they can advance in their careers just as successfully as men. Between confidence and competency, women are worth just as much as their male colleagues.

If you have further thoughts, questions, or suggestions on salary negotiations, we’d love to hear from you!

Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!

The post The Wage Gap in Tech: No Industry is Immune appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.