Researching the best paying jobs for women is the first step towards a promising career that can lead to financial security and independence. In 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released data signifying that the gender income gap still exists: on average, women make 81 cents for every dollar their male colleagues make.
There are certain disparities in the data collection and reporting (the study on median weekly earnings did not take into account factors such as differing levels of experience or occupation), but the fact remains that it’s tough for some women to get high-paying jobs, despite equal or better qualifications than their male peers.
It’s even worse for women who recently graduated from college. A May 2012 report from the Economy Policy Institute points out that female graduates make 13.9% less than their male counterparts in terms of average hourly wages, and between 2000 and 2011, average wages for women who’d recently graduated fell 8.5% while it only fell 1.6% for men. To put this in perspective, in 2011, young college grads averaged about $17 per hour or about $35,000 per year for a full-time position.
At this income level, every dollar counts and can mean the difference between living frugally or below the poverty line. Coupling wage gaps with the grim unemployment statistics, which don’t even account for the underemployed or those who simply stopped looking for work and left the labor force, and the economic inequality gap expands.
Top Paying Careers For Women
However, despite the fact that men make up more of the full time workforce, there are still high paying jobs for women in America, with or without a college degree. Gajizmo.com has compiled a list of high paying jobs for women by analyzing data provided by the BLS. Based on full-time wages, occupation and gender, it seems healthcare, computer science, engineering, and business are likely to offer women the best paying jobs and careers.
Pharmacist
With healthcare in the U.S. expanding and the Baby Boomer population spurring a greater need for more prescriptions, careers in pharmacy are a great option for women and offer some of the highest paying positions. Census data from 2012 indicates that women make up 52% of all pharmacists; this appears to be one of the few careers equally accessible to men and women.
As for the salary, women make exactly what men do in the field, matching dollar for dollar when compared to their male colleagues. Additionally, it seems the healthcare also offers excellent benefits and flexibility since reports demonstrate that women with children regularly work fewer hours without discrimination in pay.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2012 reported that pharmacists make an average of $55.27 per hour, or $114,950 per year. With a six-figure income and relative gender equality across the board, a career in pharmacy is one of the best jobs available to women today.
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,871
- Median Annual Earnings: $114,950
- Women Percentage of Industry: 52%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 100%
Chief Executive
Payscale.com indicates that chief executive officers (CEOs) are the next highest paying position with an average annual salary between $61,000 and $284,000. These figures do not account for bonuses, profit sharing, or commissions. And although women have been faring better in the realm of business over the past few years, there is still a stark divide in average pay and number of female CEOs compared to male CEOs. Approximately 75% of all CEO positions are still held by men, and when comparing their salaries to their female counterparts, we see that women earn an average of 24% less.
Of course, we must take into account that every company is different in size, product or services, annual sales, profitability, industry, challenges, etc. While men dominate the executive suites at Fortune 500 companies, women tend to make it to the top through smaller businesses and non-profit organization. Inequalities continue to exist, but this is still one of the best paying jobs in America for anyone – male or female.
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,730
- Median Annual Earnings: $90,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 26%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 76%
Lawyer
According to the American Bar Association’s February 2013 report, women now make up over 33% of the lawyer field. Good thing too, because law professions are the third highest paying sector for women in today’s labor market. Weekly salaries for female lawyers have risen from 70.5% of a male lawyer’s salary in 2006 to 86.6% in 2011.
Furthermore, an October 2012 report titled the Seventh Annual National Survey on Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms, found that women equity partners in the top 200 law firms earn approximately 89% of what their male peers earn. It’s not wholly equal, but it’s still a smaller wage gap than in other industries and the average weekly salary of over $1,600 is what makes law professions one of the top three highest paying careers for women. You may also want to check out our article on the Highest Paid Lawyers and Legal Careers.
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,634
- Median Annual Earnings: $85,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 33%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 87%
Nurse Practitioners
As the healthcare industry expands over the next few years – one out of every five jobs created in 2012 was in healthcare – the ever-growing need for nurse practitioners will continue to skyrocket. According to the BLS’s February 2012 Employment Projections, nurse practitioners are expected to remain the top occupation in terms of job growth through the year 2020, estimating that the nursing workforce will expand by 26% during the same time.
Similarly, more of the best paying jobs for women can be found in the healthcare industry, with physician assistants, occupational therapists and medical/health services managers ranking #7, #12 and #13, respectively, on our list of great careers. Unfortunately, it appears this equality does not crossover to the more lucrative field of physicians and surgeons, where female colleagues only comprise 35% of the industry and earn 68% as much as men.
Overall, this signals a greater demand for nurses and healthcare service providers, which will likely lead to an increase in wages to attract more college students to the industry. Though you might not become a millionaire overnight, nursing is a stable, well-paying job with excellent benefits that will likely result in a 6-figure income at some point in your career.
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,530
- Median Annual Earnings: $79,500
- Women Percentage of Industry: 84%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: N/A
Information Systems Manager
Entry-level jobs as computer science engineers, information systems managers, and computer programmers require a Bachelor’s degree upfront, but are well-worth the investment in your education. These jobs average over $55 per hour, or $115,780 per year. Women are underrepresented when it comes to the computer science field, but the both the private industry and the government are pushing for more STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) jobs to be added to keep up with the technological advances our foreign neighbors are producing.
The demand for more computer and information systems managers will continue to rise in the coming years. Perhaps not as much as we’ll see with nursing, but job security is there, as well as high wages for women.
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,527
- Median Annual Earnings: $79,500
- Women Percentage of Industry: 26%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 88%
Highest Paying Jobs For Women
It’s a tough job market out there with unemployment at 7.7%, rampant underemployment, and lowered or stagnating wages across the board. Let’s not forget the issue of pay inequalities, with women making an average of 81 cents to every working man’s dollar. But it doesn’t have to be that way: the five jobs listed above are increasingly more balanced between men and women’s participation as well as pay. In some instances, such as pharmacy, the pay is equal. If you’re seeking a high paying job for women when it comes to gender wage equality, advancement, and benefits, look no further than the best career fields for the future.
Top 20 Jobs For Women, Continued
Physicians and Surgeons
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,418
- Median Annual Earnings: $74,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 35%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 68%
- Check out the Highest Paid Doctors and Surgeons.
Physician Assistants
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,364
- Median Annual Earnings: $71,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 69%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: N/A
Software Developers – Applications/Systems
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,362
- Median Annual Earnings: $71,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 20%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 81%
Management Analysts
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,325
- Median Annual Earnings: $69,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 42%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 86%
Computer Systems Analysts
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,254
- Median Annual Earnings: $65,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 33%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 85%
Human Resources Managers
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,208
- Median Annual Earnings: $63,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 74%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 83%
Occupational Therapists
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,200
- Median Annual Earnings: $62,500
- Women Percentage of Industry: 96%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: N/A
Medical and Health Services Managers
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,190
- Median Annual Earnings: $62,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 71%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 77%
Physical Therapists
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,190
- Median Annual Earnings: $62,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 61%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 87%
Physical Scientists
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,171
- Median Annual Earnings: $61,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 34%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 77%
Operations Research Analysts
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,169
- Median Annual Earnings: $61,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 55%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 75%
Psychologists
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,155
- Median Annual Earnings: $60,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 77%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: N/A
Computer Programmers
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,148
- Median Annual Earnings: $59,500
- Women Percentage of Industry: 23%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 84%
Speech-Language Pathologists
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,121
- Median Annual Earnings: $58,500
- Women Percentage of Industry: 98%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: N/A
Marketing and Sales Managers
- Median Weekly Earnings: $1,110
- Median Annual Earnings: $58,000
- Women Percentage of Industry: 44%
- Earnings As A Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 68%