(WTNH) — The gender pay gap has long been an issue in the workplace. Women typically earn 76 to 79 cents for every dollar that men make.
The job search site Glassdoor did a study which compared the pay of men and women with the same job title and similar levels of education and experience. These people worked at similar companies and in the same state. The study found that the gender pay gap depends on the profession.
Anna Belcher owns her own catering business in New Haven. She’s worked in the food industry for years and says she’s now self-employed, in part, because it’s hard to digest how women are often treated differently in the industry.
“The sad thing is a lot of the time to get ahead you have to create your own opportunities if you’re a female,” she said.
And, says Belcher, fewer opportunities often translates to lower pay. Getting a top job in the industry means more money, but it’s getting those jobs that can be a problem.
“It’s hard to be a head chef if you’re a female, especially in fine dining,” said Belcher. “Usually it’s very male oriented.”
The food industry isn’t alone. The study found that women in many positions, including computer programmers, dentists and pilots, still make significantly less money than their male colleagues. However, it also found that when looking at men and women in comparable positions with similar qualifications, the gender gap narrows considerably – with women making 95 cents for every dollar men make. Experts say the 2008 recession might have something to do with that.
“I think that many men were laid off and basically the lower paid women were able to maintain their jobs or even able to move up,” said David Cadden, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at Quinnipiac University.
Though the gender pay gap may have closed somewhat, the women in industries that still haven’t seen much of a change are looking to stir the pot. They try to get ahead in any way they can.
“I’m self-employed and that helps because you can control your destiny more,” said Belcher. “But it’s a little bit harder to predict income.”
The study also found a “reverse gender gap” in some fields – like social work – in which women often make more money than men. Women in these professions typically make less than ten cents an hour more than their male colleagues, however.
