What happens when women make up half of the workforce and are more likely than ever before to be important breadwinners in their families? It becomes increasingly crucial for women to earn top dollar for their labor.
To rank the 10 best-paying jobs for women, we tabulated the median weekly earnings of female full-time wage and salary workers in 2009, as provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Men are still earning more across industries--about 20 percent more than women per week--but women are quickly closing the gap. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a slim majority (51 percent) of workers in high-paying management and professional jobs are female.
This top-10 list is equal parts a lesson in the importance of math and science skills, a showcase for the obvious (top picks include doctors and lawyers), a reinterpretation of "women's work," and an attempt to forecast the high-paying jobs of the future. Highlights of the list include:
Number 1: Chief executive
Chief executive is the the top-paying job for women. Female chief executives made a median salary of $1,553 per week, or about $81,000, in 2009. However, their total numbers are still low, and they aren't earning as much as men. Women comprise just a quarter of all chief executives and earn 75 percent as much as their male peers. But younger women may be moving into business more than previous generations. In 2007, women received 44 percent of all MBAs. according to the U.S. Department of Education, while in 1997 they earned 39 percent--a 75 percent increase in the last 10 years.
"Chief executives will remain well paid in years to come, and it's a position you can work your way into," says Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis for PayScale, an online provider of employee compensation data. "Becoming a CEO might be easier than becoming a doctor. You can be a CEO at age 35, when a doctor is just getting done with training."
Number 2: Pharmacist
As with last year, a career in pharmacy was a top contender. Pharmacist placed second on our list--above lawyers (number 3) and physicians and surgeons (number 6). Female pharmacists earned a median of $1,475 per week and about $76,500 per year. Women now hold almost half of pharmacist positions and are flocking to the field--with good reason. The BLS expects the field to expand faster than most, with pharmacist positions projected to increase 17 percent by 2018.
Confused by why physicians and surgeons rank lower than pharmacists? Lee believes it's because the category is so large. It includes neurosurgeons as well as interns and residents, who make drastically less. Furthermore, there is a broad array of specialties. Women often choose the lower-paying specialties like family practice and pediatrics, he says, which brings down the pay average.
Number 7: Computer programmer
Computer programmer, a new addition to the list, came in at number 7. Women constitute only 21 percent of the field but earn close to what men earn. Female computer programmers earn a median salary of $62,000 a year, and those in the top 10 percent of the field make a median salary of $111,000. Some other upsides of the job: Most programmers work standard 40-hour weeks, and telecommuting is becoming more common. Plus, employers typically require only a bachelor's degree, and this is particularly appealing to women who want high earnings without the educational investment required by fields like medicine or law.
Number 10: Occupational therapist
A surprising new entrant, occupational therapist, came in at number 10. This is the only profession on the list dominated by women, who hold 82 percent of all positions. It's also the only field in which women earn the same as men. Occupational therapists typically have a master's degree or higher and earn $1,155 a week, or a median salary of $60,000 per year. They help patients recover or improve basic motor skills so they can perform daily tasks like dressing, cooking, and eating. And it's an in-demand job--employment is expected to grow 26 percent by 2018, with another 26,000 positions created.
The bottom of the list
The lowest-paying jobs for women were concentrated in the service industry. Launders and dry cleaners ($362 per week), food servers ($363 per week), child-care workers ($364 per week), and maids ($371 per week) were not only the lowest-paying jobs; they were predominantly filled by women.
PayScale's Lee says technical and in-demand fields are women's best bet for earning good money. "There are lots of women out there who could be in these fields, but if women decide to teach math instead of going into computer programming, they've left money on the table."
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