Understanding the Gender Pay Gap in the Tech Industry

Whether you’ve been watching the news or had a course on social science, you’ve probably heard of the gender pay gap. Simply put, it refers to the difference in how much women earn compared to men — with the former usually earning less. Here, we take a look at the issue in the context of the tech world.

There is Balance — But Not in All Aspects

Last year, employers based in the UK had to report how much they pay the men and women in their workforce. The results were interesting, to say the least. Take the case of LinkedIn, the place where people look for jobs and ask specific questions like why the VPN will not connect in office computers or how the gaming industry could utilize VR devices better.

According to their report, LinkedIn didn’t have a significant difference between the number of men and women; it had a more or less equal gender ratio. So where was the problem? For one, the average hourly pay for women was more than a quarter percent less than their counterparts.

When bonus earnings were taken into consideration, the results were worse: There was a 60 percent gap in terms of the median bonus pay. What does this mean? The tech company had a fair number of men and women employees yet there was an alarming pay gap overall.

The problem lies in job mobility. The number of women who have a senior position is outnumbered by that of men. Those who are in the upper 25 percent in terms of earnings are primarily made up of men — around 70 percent. What leads to the gap is that more men are at the top than men.

Opening Doors in the Upper Ranks

If the tech industry wants to fix the gender wage gap issue, they need to allow more women to take on managerial positions. But this a responsibility of both companies and individuals. The former must be inclusive in choosing senior officials while the latter must be willing to take on more complex tasks.

There was a survey that showed how men preferred technical careers while women usually go for marketing and administrative roles. While no one has the right to stop others from choosing their career path, it would be refreshing to see companies encouraging women to take on technical jobs and for men to try administrative tasks.

Thus, the gender pay gap requires a change in attitude and perception. Every person should be given opportunities to try out new roles regardless of their gender.