A shortage of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs will ensure the gender pay gap will not be bridged until 2069, if the gap continues to close at an average rate of 2.5p annually. In the interactive infographic below, you can see just how much males in the tech industry earn in comparison to their female counterparts. The worst offending job is computer programmers, where there is a 28.3% pay gap, followed closely by data specialists with a 13.6% pay gap.
A Deloitte report found that at the very start of their working lives, women graduates are earning less than their male peers in many jobs. That gap holds true even in sectors where women workers dominate, such as healthcare and teaching. But, is this the case in the B2B marketing industry too?
A report by Marketing Week released earlier this year revealed male marketers continue to earn significantly more, with an average salary of £42,303 compared to £35,005 for women. That means that men earn an extra 21%, equivalent to an additional £7,298 per year. Men earned 21% more than women on average last year too, which shows the pay gap has failed to improve over the past 12 months.
In April this year, B2B Marketing’s first ever Salary Survey also confirmed that there was a considerable pay gap in the industry supporting Marketing Week’s findings. Even though women are well represented in the industry, the research showed the average B2B marketing salary is £45,000 per year, while male marketers earn £52,000.
So, what can we do to reduce the gender pay gap?
Introduce pay transparency
Pay transparency lets everyone know what their colleagues are earning and would help make female employees aware if they’re making less than their male counterparts. This could also increase productivity levels and force businesses to establish meritocracy, so those who are productive get paid more.
Eliminate negotiation
Studies show female professionals don’t perform as well as males in regards to business negotiations, with the study suggesting this is because they’re often lied to. Also, women have been known to avoid negotiations altogether, after accepting the first offer presented by their prospective employer. It may be difficult to completely eliminate negotiation when hiring senior employees with varying degrees of experience, but it would be trivial to apply when hiring entry-level employees.
Subsidise childcare
The cost of childcare can be crippling for families. For mothers on low wages, after nursery and travel costs it can be barely worth working, with the government only covering the costs of some child-care once a child turns three years-old. The Women’s Equality Party is calling for state childcare help to start as soon as paid parental leave is over.
These three solutions don’t promise to quickly fix the gender pay gap but it would be a great start for organisations that want to be leaders in championing gender parity in the workplace.
Scroll down to see the full infographic.