Women in the Workforce
Of the 120 million women age 16 years and over in the U.S. in 2007, a record 68 million women were employed — 46% of the total U.S. workforce. Women accounted for 51% of all workers in the high-paying management, professional, and related careers in 2007.
What Women in the Workforce Do
Women outnumbered men in such occupations as financial managers; human resource managers; education administrators; medical and health services managers; accountants and auditors; budget analysts; preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers; physical therapists; and registered nurses.
Top 10 Salaries of Women in the Workforce
Among women who were full-time wage and salary workers in 2007, the ten careers with the highest median weekly earnings were:
- Pharmacists: $1,603
- Chief executives: $1,536
- Lawyers: $1,381
- Computer and information systems managers: $1,363
- Computer software engineers: $1,318
- Psychologists: $1,152
- Physical therapists: $1,096
- Management analysts: $1,083
- Computer programmers: $1,074
- Human resource managers: $1,073
How Education Benefits Women in the Workforce
In 2007, out of women aged 25 years and older, 28% had attained a bachelor's degree or higher, 10% earned associate degrees, and 41% completed only high school or attended college without attaining a degree. The more education women get, the higher their pay, the better their career and promotion opportunities, and the less likely they are to be unemployed.
Earnings by educational level for 2007 have not yet been published, but 2006 data showed that women in the workforce age 25 and over who graduated from college and were working full-time earned about 80% more than women with only a high school diploma.
| Education level | Working or Looking for Work | Unemployed |
|---|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | 87% | 12.5% |
| Some College | 66% | 4.1% |
| Associate's Degree | 71% | 3.1% |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 73% | 2.1% |
You Don't Always Need a Bachelor Degree
Even an associate degree or professional certification may greatly boost pay for women in the workforce. A U.S. Census Bureau study released in January 2008 revealed that associate degrees or vocational training in a number of careers considered nontraditional for women can pay as much as bachelor degrees in other careers.
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Sources:
1) U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employment and Earnings," 2007 Annual Averages and the "Monthly Labor Review," November 2007.
2) U.S. Census Bureau, "Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007"
3) U.S. Census Bureau, "More Education Pays Off, As Do Certain Fields of Training," 1/29/2008