MANUFACTURING TIDBITS

WAGE GAP FOR WOMEN IMPROVING, BUT STILL A LONG WAY TO GO

by THOMAS R. CUTLER Jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are projected to rise 8% by 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While women working in STEM jobs have higher median earnings than women in non-STEM roles, there is still a wage gap to overcome to catch up to men in STEM professions. That gap is narrowing. Women in computer, engineering, and science occupations — or tech jobs, for the purposes of a recent study — in Cape Coral, FL and Winston-Salem, NC make more than men on average, according to a MagnifyMoney analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.   • Women in tech jobs in the Cape Coral, FL metro area earn 3% more on average than men in the same occupation. Women’s median tech earnings there average $48,691, compared with $47,102 for men. •Winston-Salem, NC is the only other metro where women in tech earn more on average than men in tech. Women in tech there earn $70,525, or 2% more than men at $68,994.

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Manufacturing Outlook / March 2021

• Women in Provo, UT face the largest gender tech wage gap — by far. Women in the occupation there earn an average of $43,412, only 54% that of men’s tech earnings — $80,391. Portland, OR and Ogden, UT tie for the second-worst gender wage gap for women in tech, at 61% that of men. • The median earnings among the five metros with the smallest gap for women in technology is $63,686, 31% more than the $48,546 for the five metros with the biggest gap. Top 100 Metro Rankings: Best metros for women in tech Gender pay parity varies widely by employer, no matter the location. Researchers sought to find places where it appears more tech employers might be prioritizing fair pay. Southern states dominate top 10 metros for women in tech Full Ranking: Metros with the smallest wage gap for women in tech