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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
Mon Apr 1, 2013, 12:21 PM Apr 2013

Has the IT Salary Gender Gap Disappeared?

It’s no secret that women are grossly underrepresented in information technology jobs, with some reports indicating that there's still a glass ceiling when it comes to promotions out of junior or mid-level management positions.

But a new report suggests that there is at least one area where men and women IT workers are equal -- salaries. This, however, is only true if you compare equal levels of experience and education and parallel job titles, according to Dice.com’s 2012-2013 salary survey.

Overall, salaries for women ITs lagged slightly behind those for men last year, with average annual incomes at $87,527 and $95,929, respectively, the survey found. That difference is due to the fact that the two groups tend to hold different positions. For example, the top five positions held by women -- including project manager and business analyst -- pay less than the top five positions held by men, including software engineer and systems administrator.

In addition, four out of the top five occupations for men carry salaries that exceed $90,000, while for women, it’s only one out of five, Dice’s Dawn Kawamoto reports.

Both genders also report roughly the same level of satisfaction with their pay. For example, 58 percent of women said they were satisfied with their salaries, compared to 56 percent of their male counterparts.

http://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/wired-workplace/2013/03/has-it-salary-gender-gap-disappeared/62178/?oref=ng-voicestop

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B2G

(9,766 posts)
1. As a female IT professional
Mon Apr 1, 2013, 12:32 PM
Apr 2013

I can say that I am very satisfied with my salary, as are my female coworkers.

 

Rabid_Rabbit

(131 posts)
2. "only true if you compare equal levels of experience and education and parallel job titles"
Mon Apr 1, 2013, 12:37 PM
Apr 2013

Really??
If you compare women and men with the same experience and education they make the same money? What a novel idea to compare apples to apples. These pay-gap studies usually compare apples to oranges in the hopes of stirring up some controversy.

Posteritatis

(18,807 posts)
4. Issues of the 'average' aside, I'm not sure I'd call an $8500 gap a "lagging slightly."
Mon Apr 1, 2013, 12:58 PM
Apr 2013

If women are still not getting hired into the top-paying positions as often as men are, and if 80% of the top occupations for men are receiving salaries that only 20% of the top for women are getting, then claiming the salary gap has disappeared is completely ludicrous.

dsc

(52,130 posts)
8. that would depend entirely upon the reasons
Tue Apr 2, 2013, 01:28 AM
Apr 2013

for both the differential in pay between the positions and the differential in the ratio of females to males in the positions. If the reasons for both of those are gender neutral then there would be no pay gap. I don't know if they are or if they aren't and from the article you don't either.

Posteritatis

(18,807 posts)
10. I'd need some quite extraordinary evidence before believing those differences are gender-neutral. nt
Tue Apr 2, 2013, 05:39 PM
Apr 2013
 

lumberjack_jeff

(33,224 posts)
9. "only true if you compare equal levels of experience and education and parallel job titles"
Tue Apr 2, 2013, 01:31 AM
Apr 2013

How else would you compare salaries?

etherealtruth

(22,165 posts)
11. How do you have parallel job titles if there is a glass ceiling?
Tue Apr 2, 2013, 05:44 PM
Apr 2013

" ... indicating that there's still a glass ceiling when it comes to promotions out of junior or mid-level management positions."

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