Women in the workforce earned about 84% of what men earned in 2020, according to a Pew Research analysis of full- and part-time workers. While the gender pay gap has remained steady for the last few years, the gap was smaller for younger workers in 2020. Women ages 25 to 34 earned 93% of what men of the same ages earned. (Here are the 16 metro areas where young women make more than men.)
To identify the 18 worst paying jobs for women, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median weekly pay data for women and men in 566 different occupations. Jobs are ranked by women’s earnings as a share of men’s earnings. Non-specific jobs that do not fall into a clearly defined classification were excluded from analysis. All data, including total employment numbers, is from the 2020 annual report Highlights of Women’s Earnings from the Current Population Survey published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The worst paying jobs for women include positions from a variety of industries, including retail, manufacturing, law, insurance, real estate, finance, and transportation. While the national average wage gap is around 84%, the share of women’s earnings in the worst paying jobs runs from 74.4% to 65.2% of men’s earnings.
The jobs represent professions that typically employ more men – including truck drivers and production supervisors – as well as professions that employ more women, including social services managers and accountants.
The third lowest paying job is that of first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers, which pay women a median weekly income of $596, while men in the same positions make $902 per week. Of all occupations listed, lawyers have the highest median weekly income, with women’s earnings at $1,665, and men’s earnings at $2,324. (These 25 highest-paying jobs for women still pay men more.)
Click here to see the 18 worst paying jobs for women.
18. Sales managers
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 74.4%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $1,411
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,896
> No. of workers: 495,000 (32.9% women)
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17. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 74.3%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $1,101
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,482
> No. of workers: 497,000 (32.8% women)
16. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 74.2%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $816
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,099
> No. of workers: 713,000 (17.1% women)
15. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 74.0%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $908
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,227
> No. of workers: 243,000 (51.4% women)
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14. Miscellaneous health technologists and technicians
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 73.7%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $825
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,120
> No. of workers: 143,000 (65.0% women)
13. Social and community service managers
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 73.6%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $1,163
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,580
> No. of workers: 330,000 (72.7% women)
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12. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 73.5%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $809
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,101
> No. of workers: 741,000 (85.8% women)
11. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 72.7%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $666
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $916
> No. of workers: 2,592,000 (7.1% women)
10. Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 72.4%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $967
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,336
> No. of workers: 325,000 (62.5% women)
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9. Lawyers
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 71.6%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $1,665
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $2,324
> No. of workers: 821,000 (42.8% women)
8. Insurance sales agents
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 70.6%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $825
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,169
> No. of workers: 469,000 (51.6% women)
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7. Real estate brokers and sales agents
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 69.3%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $937
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,352
> No. of workers: 498,000 (56.8% women)
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6. Correctional officers and jailers
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 69.2%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $743
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,073
> No. of workers: 337,000 (33.2% women)
5. Credit counselors and loan officers
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 67.9%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $1,013
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,492
> No. of workers: 391,000 (56.8% women)
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4. Personal financial advisors
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 67.9%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $1,291
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,900
> No. of workers: 400,000 (37.3% women)
3. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 66.1%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $596
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $902
> No. of workers: 171,000 (37.4% women)
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2. Financial managers
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 66.1%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $1,242
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,880
> No. of workers: 1,228,000 (50.8% women)
1. Medical scientists
> Women’s earnings as a pct. of men’s: 65.2%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $1,372
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $2,103
> No. of workers: 114,000 (52.6% women)
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