Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Equal pay for equal work — the concept sounds so simple. However, the reality is that women today still only earn 82 cents for every dollar men make. While this certainly marks an improvement from the beginning of the 2000s when that figure stood at 76 cents, it shows the need for continued progress
Related Content
The good news is that women have made considerable gains in a variety of occupations, including white-collar jobs. Here's a look at 10 jobs for which the gender pay gap has closed the fastest over the past few years:
Compliance officers
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $10,895
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $104
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 10,344%
Yes, you read that percentage of change correctly. The gender wage gap among compliance officers — people companies hire to help keep the organization current with global and domestic regulatory standards — has shrunk dramatically over the past few years. For women looking to enter this occupation, employment opportunities in the financial industry appear especially promising as the government steps up its enforcement of anti-money laundering laws.
Civil engineers
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $9,619
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $2,138
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 350%
The Biden administration's interest in repairing the nation's aging infrastructure should lead to an increased need for talented civil engineers. Even greater news for women in this profession is that their take-home pay continues to move closer to that of their male counterparts.
Computer support specialists
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $11,426
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $3,547
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 222%
When a screen goes blank or a cursor won't move, the frantic person in need of assistance does not care one iota whether the tech-support savior is male or female. Paychecks in this profession are moving closer to gender blindness, too.
Human resources managers
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $24,871
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $7,771
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 220%
Want good odds that you won't be the only female manager in a department? Consider a career in HR. Nearly three quarters of human resource managers are women. As caretakers of a company's most important asset — its workers — it's only fitting that their own salary is starting to better align with the ideal of workplace equality.
Pharmacists
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $20,939
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $6,572
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 219%
Back in the 1960s, only 8% of licensed pharmacists were female. Today, women hold about 55% of all pharmacist positions, making it one of the best STEM careers in terms of representation. Flexibility attracts many women since the abundant hours pharmacies stay open pave the way for second-shift, weekend, or part-time options. "Pharmacist" also is the only job on this list for which both men and women currently post an average annual salary above the $100,000 level.
Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $15,412
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $5,007
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 208%
While the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little to no employment growth in this field during the next decade, at least one thing is trending in the right direction — the paycheck of female managers in relation to male colleagues.
Art, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $11,585
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $6,467
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 79%
"It's not easy to constantly have to demand your worth," says Megan Rapinoe, U.S. soccer player and champion for fair pay. Thanks to her and many other athletes, artists, and entertainers willing to speak up, the playing field in this occupational group is starting to level.
Office clerks
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $5,846
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $3,338
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 75%
In an occupation where both men and women bring home an annual salary below the national average, all efforts to put more money in an office clerk's pocket are most welcome.
Computer and information systems managers
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $14,243
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $9,440
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 51%
In 2017, men in this profession averaged a salary of more than $100,000. Fast-forward to 2020 when men's salaries continue to climb while women still have not reached the six-figure benchmark. Considered a "Bright Outlook occupation" by the U.S. Department of Labor thanks to its predicted growth of opportunity, women should soon clear this hurdle once and for all and not need to settle for "close."
Purchasing managers
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2017: $14,987
- Difference in median annual salary between men and women in 2020: $10,170
- Change in gender pay gap between 2017 to 2020: 47%
Their job involves buying products and services for organizations. But what about their own purchasing power? The significant reduction in the gender pay gap over the past few years gives hope that soon female and male purchasing managers will possess the same size wallet.
