The most recent available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that women in full-time positions still make just over 80 cents on the dollar compared to men working full-time.
One of the reasons often cited for the gender wage gap is known as the “glass ceiling,” the invisible barrier in the workplace that prevents women from having access to the very high-end positions. Despite claims to the contrary, the glass ceiling in the United States continues to be a reality for millions of women in the workplace.
The result is that while some women are employed in the highest-paid occupations in the country, they tend to have much lower representation and are also paid less for the same work. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 25 occupations with the highest average full-time salaries for women in the United States. In all cases, women earned lower annual average salaries than men, and in 18 of the 25 occupations men accounted for a larger share of total employment than women.
The occupations on this list, all of which have average annual salaries for women in excess of $60,000, are evidence of the progress that has been made for gender equality in the workplace. Employment and high pay among women in these high-paying occupations has increased, in some cases dramatically.
Ariane Hegewisch, program director of employment and earnings at The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a nonpartisan policy research group, told 24/7 Wall St. in an interview that these high-paying jobs are a positive sign, even if representation and pay gap is still a work in progress. “The level of pay is important — to have more women in higher-paying positions, even if the men make even more — is progress, because it means more women earn higher salaries and can support their families.”
Click here to see the 25 highest-paying jobs for women
Click here to read our methodology
25. Compliance officers
> Women’s annual earnings: $60,580
> Men’s annual earnings: $75,400
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 80.3%
> Number of workers: 278,000 (53.6% women)
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24. Financial analysts
> Women’s annual earnings: $62,244
> Men’s annual earnings: $83,148
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 74.9%
> Number of workers: 261,000 (46.7% women)
23. Construction managers
> Women’s annual earnings: $62,504
> Men’s annual earnings: $76,284
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 81.9%
> Number of workers: 625,000 (8.5% women)
22. Personal financial advisors
> Women’s annual earnings: $62,764
> Men’s annual earnings: $85,644
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 73.3%
> Number of workers: 414,000 (35.3% women)
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21. Purchasing managers
> Women’s annual earnings: $63,908
> Men’s annual earnings: $74,412
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 85.9%
> Number of workers: 222,000 (44.6% women)
20. Education administrators
> Women’s annual earnings: $64,740
> Men’s annual earnings: $81,276
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 79.7%
> Number of workers: 857,000 (65.7% women)
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19. Computer systems analysts
> Women’s annual earnings: $64,792
> Men’s annual earnings: $85,644
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 75.7%
> Number of workers: 580,000 (38.3% women)
18. Postsecondary teachers
> Women’s annual earnings: $65,156
> Men’s annual earnings: $83,356
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 78.2%
> Number of workers: 994,000 (46.3% women)
17. Financial managers
> Women’s annual earnings: $65,624
> Men’s annual earnings: $92,768
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 70.7%
> Number of workers: 1,158,000 (57.3% women)
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16. Civil engineers
> Women’s annual earnings: $66,664
> Men’s annual earnings: $80,652
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 82.7%
> Number of workers: 410,000 (15.4% women)
15. Industrial production managers
> Women’s annual earnings: $67,392
> Men’s annual earnings: $81,796
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 82.4%
> Number of workers: 243,000 (22.6% women)
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14. Operations research analysts
> Women’s annual earnings: $67,548
> Men’s annual earnings: $81,432
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 83.0%
> Number of workers: 125,000 (46.4% women)
13. Architects, except naval
> Women’s annual earnings: $67,652
> Men’s annual earnings: $79,976
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 84.6%
> Number of workers: 170,000 (30.6% women)
12. Human resources managers
> Women’s annual earnings: $69,160
> Men’s annual earnings: $91,572
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 75.5%
> Number of workers: 294,000 (75.2% women)
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11. Medical and health services managers
> Women’s annual earnings: $69,212
> Men’s annual earnings: $89,908
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 77.0%
> Number of workers: 567,000 (73.7% women)
10. Marketing and sales managers
> Women’s annual earnings: $70,824
> Men’s annual earnings: $96,304
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 73.5%
> Number of workers: 963,000 (46.4% women)
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9. Physical therapists
> Women’s annual earnings: $72,124
> Men’s annual earnings: $73,320
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 98.4%
> Number of workers: 209,000 (66.5% women)
8. Management analysts
> Women’s annual earnings: $74,724
> Men’s annual earnings: $85,384
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 87.5%
> Number of workers: 635,000 (43.9% women)
7. Computer programmers
> Women’s annual earnings: $75,140
> Men’s annual earnings: $86,424
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 86.9%
> Number of workers: 428,000 (21.3% women)
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6. Software developers, applications and systems software
> Women’s annual earnings: $85,488
> Men’s annual earnings: $98,488
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 86.8%
> Number of workers: 1,611,000 (20.3% women)
5. Physicians and surgeons
> Women’s annual earnings: $87,204
> Men’s annual earnings: $130,676
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 66.7%
> Number of workers: 827,000 (42.6% women)
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4. Computer and information systems managers
> Women’s annual earnings: $89,804
> Men’s annual earnings: $99,840
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 89.9%
> Number of workers: 601,000 (25.5% women)
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3. Chief executives
> Women’s annual earnings: $90,272
> Men’s annual earnings: $129,376
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 69.8%
> Number of workers: 1,098,000 (28.0% women)
2. Lawyers
> Women’s annual earnings: $91,624
> Men’s annual earnings: $114,504
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 80.0%
> Number of workers: 853,000 (40.3% women)
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1. Pharmacists
> Women’s annual earnings: $98,280
> Men’s annual earnings: $118,092
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 83.2%
> Number of workers: 263,000 (62.7% women)
Methodology
To identify the highest paying jobs for women, 24/7 Wall St. looked at 150 full-time occupations from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS), a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) program. The best-paying jobs for women listed here are the full-time occupations with the highest average annual salary for women, regardless of the gender pay gap. Total employment and male and female employment also came from the BLS. Average yearly wage estimates were calculated by multiplying average weekly wages by 52. Broad occupational categories that subsumed more precise designations were not considered.
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