NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Warren Farrell, the San Diego-based author of "Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap – and What Women Can Do About It," has identified more than 80 occupations in which women earn more than men on average.
In the 39 jobs listed below, women's median earnings exceeded men's by at least 5 percent and in some cases by as much as 43 percent.
Sales engineers $89,908 $62,660 43%
Statisticians $49,140 $36,296 35%
Legislators $43,316 $32,656 33%
Other transportation workers $43,160 $33,124 30%
Automotive service technicians and mechanics $40,664 $31,460 29%
Speech-language pathologists $45,136 $35,048 29%
Library assistants, clerical $23,608 $18,512 28%
Motion picture projectionists $35,412 $27,924 27%
Helpers, construction trades $26,936 $21,736 24%
Funeral services workers $30,108 $24,492 23%
Motor vehicle operators, all other $22,412 $18,252 23%
Baggage porters, bellhops and concierges $26,468 $21,684 22%
Biological technicians $32,292 $26,364 22%
Telephone operators $22,152 $18,356 21%
Food batchmakers $27,872 $23,400 19%
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic $29,692 $25,064 18%
Financial analysts $69,004 $58,604 18%
Personal care and service workers, all other $19,864 $17,160 16%
Meter readers, utilities $36,348 $31,668 15%
Tool and die makers $46,228 $40,144 15%
Library technicians $33,384 $29,328 14%
Crossing guards $18,824 $16,640 13%
Information and record clerks, all other $29,484 $26,312 12%
Telecommunications line installers and repairers $40,716 $36,348 12%
Aerospace engineers $78,416 $70,356 11%
Radiation therapists $59,124 $53,300 11%
Automotive body and related repairers $30,888 $28,132 10%
Other education, training and library workers $46,176 $42,120 10%
Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping $30,420 $28,028 9%
Precision instrument and equipment repairers $40,612 $37,648 8%
Gaming services workers $24,076 $22,308 8%
Engineering managers $82,784 $76,752 8%
Agricultural and food scientists $41,704 $39,156 7%
Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging and systems assemblers $28,652 $26,676 7%
Residential advisers $24,492 $23,036 6%
Supervisors, protective service workers, all other $34,684 $32,656 6%
Surveying and mapping technicians $34,840 $32,864 6%
Lifeguards and other protective service workers $19,188 $18,356 5%
Advertising and promotions managers $42,068 $40,144 5%
Source: Warren Farrell, "Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap -- and What Women Can Do About It"
*Data based on 2003 Bureau of Labor Statistics usual weekly median earnings.
Where women's pay trumps men's
Much is made of the fact the men often earn more than women. Well, that's not always the case. See which occupations defy the norm.
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer
March 2, 2006: 9:36 AM EST
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Men work more than women ... on the job anyway ... at least in terms of overall hours.
That's just one reason why when you make a general comparison of men's and women's earnings in most fields, men usually come out ahead, according to Warren Farrell, the San Diego-based author of "Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap – and What Women Can Do About It."
"People who do best in a field (financially) just plain put in more hours," said Farrell, a former board member of the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW).
But hours alone don't fully account for the gap in women's and men's earnings. Farrell identifies 25 work-life decisions that men and women make in the course of their careers that have a direct bearing on their earning potential.
Farrell found, for instance, that men are more likely to opt for doing that which can lead to a higher paycheck, including:
- Relocate or travel extensively for work
- Take on more hazardous assignments
- Work in the hard sciences
- Take jobs requiring greater financial risk
- Work in unpleasant environments (e.g. prisons or coal mines)
Women, by contrast, are more likely to seek "careers that are more fulfilling, flexible and safe," Farrell writes. But the tradeoff is that "the pay can be lower because more people compete to be fulfilled, causing the supply to exceed the demand."
Even among highly paid women -- those who make over $100,000 -- Farrell found they are more likely than men at the same pay level to forfeit some pay in exchange for more free time. (And by "free time," I just mean free from the office. But often women reduce their work hours so they can take care of their families.)
While men may end up with more pay in many fields, Farrell believes women can end up with a better life on balance.
And in some fields, they have a shot at having a more balanced life and making more than their male counterparts.
He found more than 80 such occupations for regular working women. That is, not supermodels, who not surprisingly can earn far more than male models thanks to a seemingly insatiable demand for tall, thin, airbrushed versions of feminine beauty.
In 39 of the occupations Farrell found, women's median earnings exceeded men's earnings by at least 5 percent and in some cases by as much as 43 percent. (See the list here.)
Why do some fields pay women a premium? "No one really knows perfectly the answer," Farrell told me.
One factor may be scarcity. In fields like engineering, a company may get one woman and seven men applying for a job, Farrell said. If the company wants to hire the woman, they may have to pay a premium to get her.
That's because she may have more competing offers than her male counterparts. The reason: not only is she a top performer who can boost a company's profitability but employing her helps a company improve its equal-opportunity standing, which in turn can help it secure government contracts.
Also, where women can combine technical expertise with people skills – such as those required in sales and other arenas where customers may prefer dealing with a woman – that's likely to contribute to a premium in pay.
"She gives people the best of both worlds," Farrell said.
Another factor also may be an increase in the number of career programs designed to advance women, he noted.
It's not that Farrell doesn't think pay discrimination exists. It does, he said, but it's not always against women. There's plenty of it against men, too.
He points to careers that have limited opportunities for men – e.g., dental hygienist or elementary school teacher because people prefer a woman in those roles. That's not that much different from law firm clients who years ago may have preferred to deal with a male lawyer, he notes.
I don't usually use this column to recommend books, but "Why Men Earn More" will provide much food for thought, no matter where you stand in the pay-gap debate.
And for anyone inclined to assume men have it easier at work, this book -- complete with far more textured, subtle arguments than a column can ever convey -- will make you think twice.
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22nd-August-2008
