Female engineers earn as much as male coworkers
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Establishment feminists have long claimed that the underrepresentation of women in certain fields is automatic evidence of systemic discrimination that must be corrected with legislation.
In particular, this school of thought tends to decry female underrepresentation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, arguing that endemic sexism dissuades women from pursuing work in these areas.
Yet, ironically, it is in STEM careers that womens’ salaries are the most equitable, a new study suggests. The American Association of University Women surveyed 15,000 graduates and found that there is no significant difference between the earnings of male and female engineers.
Writer Cynthia Than offers an interesting interpretation of the study at Quartz. “Since men and women tend to choose different professions, occupational segregation explains some of the difference in the gender pay gap since men are more likely to choose higher-paying fields,” writes Than. “This results in women being disproportionately represented in lower-paying jobs. So men may enjoy an earnings advantage, but it doesn’t mean that women are being paid less for the same job.”
