While there have been great strides towards equality in the workplace in recent decades, it is obvious that major gender imbalances persist in many fields. In fact, there are some in which women hardly work at all. (These are the 30 countries with the smallest gender gap.)
There may be a number of reasons for this situation, the first and most obvious being longstanding gender discrimination, which persists despite years of equal rights legislation and changing societal norms. In addition, some jobs may have particular requirements, such as upper-body strength for firefighting, that deter women from applying. But that should be less of an issue where skill is more important than strength, as is the case with construction equipment operator — a job that is still 97% male. (Read here about the largest employer in every state.)
Click here to see 29 jobs held almost exclusively by men
Another factor may be work-life balance. Women often have to juggle jobs with child-rearing responsibilities, and some fields offer less flexibility than others. This may be an insurmountable obstacle in the absence of affordable universal childcare.
24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of popular jobs that are almost exclusively held by men. In all cases, men comprise well over 90% of the workforce. Some fields, notably skilled trades in the construction and automotive industries, stand out. In one category, automotive service technicians and mechanics, fewer than 1% of jobs are held by women.
29. Industrial and refractory machinery mechanics
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 94.3%
> Total full-time workforce: 401,000 (377,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $53,612
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28. Underground mining machine operators
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 94.3%
> Total full-time workforce: 35,000 (33,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $.
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27. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 94.4%
> Total full-time workforce: 108,000 (102,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $40,872
26. Firefighters
> Pct. of workforce that is female: 95.0%
> Total full-time workforce: 320,000 (304,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $64,116
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25. Glaziers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 95.3%
> Total full-time workforce: 43,000 (41,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $.
24. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 95.5%
> Total full-time workforce: 665,000 (635,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $31,460
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23. Maintenance and repair workers, general
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 95.6%
> Total full-time workforce: 550,000 (526,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $46,540
22. Helpers, construction trades
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 95.8%
> Total full-time workforce: 48,000 (46,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $.
21. Crane and tower operators
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 95.8%
> Total full-time workforce: 48,000 (46,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $.
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20. Insulation workers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 95.9%
> Total full-time workforce: 49,000 (47,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $.
19. Sheet metal workers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 96.1%
> Total full-time workforce: 103,000 (99,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $47,060
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18. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 96.3%
> Total full-time workforce: 81,000 (52,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $60,944
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17. Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 96.3%
> Total full-time workforce: 54,000 (78,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $40,664
16. Carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 96.6%
> Total full-time workforce: 117,000 (113,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $40,040
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15. Pest control workers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 96.7%
> Total full-time workforce: 90,000 (87,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $38,948
14. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 96.7%
> Total full-time workforce: 151,000 (146,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $60,528
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13. Welding, soldering, and brazing workers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 96.7%
> Total full-time workforce: 486,000 (471,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $43,628
12. Construction equipment operators
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 97.0%
> Total full-time workforce: 328,000 (317,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $50,908
11. Electricians
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 97.0%
> Total full-time workforce: 735,000 (713,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $53,248
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10. Construction laborers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 97.1%
> Total full-time workforce: 1,343,000 (1,304,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $40,716
9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 97.1%
> Total full-time workforce: 596,000 (579,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $62,400
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8. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 97.3%
> Total full-time workforce: 112,000 (109,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $99,996
7. Carpenters
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 97.8%
> Total full-time workforce: 756,000 (739,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $46,384
6. Automotive body and related repairers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 98.0%
> Total full-time workforce: 102,000 (100,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $47,008
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5. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 98.1%
> Total full-time workforce: 312,000 (306,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $53,196
4. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 98.2%
> Total full-time workforce: 444,000 (436,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $52,104
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3. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 98.4%
> Total full-time workforce: 382,000 (377,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $52,156
2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 98.6%
> Total full-time workforce: 139,000 (136,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $65,936
1. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
> Pct. of workforce that is male: 99.3%
> Total full-time workforce: 585,000 (581,000 male workers)
> Median annual earnings for full-time workers: $44,460
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