Find a Job You Really Want In
Women are no longer banned from certain professions, but there are still some industries where there’s a greater gender pay gap. Often that relates to how well women are represented in the industry. The more women there are, the higher-paid women are. Though some industries will try to encourage more women to apply by offering them higher pay.
If you’re looking for a field where there’s a smaller pay gap, or are just interested in high-paying jobs, then you’ve come to the right place. In some of these fields, women are well-represented, in others not so much — but they all pay well and are jobs that women are more than capable of performing well.
Key Takeaways
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Most of the jobs that have the lowest pay gap are so-called pink-collar jobs, which are generally in the service industry.
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Women can find high-paying careers in virtually every industry.
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Many high-paying careers require at least a bachelor’s degree, if not a master’s or doctorate degree.
20 high-paying careers for women
Women are fully able to have a career in any industry, but there are some that are better paying and easier to navigate than others. Traditionally, women have been confined to service or lower administrative positions, but that’s no longer the case. If you’re looking to build a high-paying career, here are some jobs to look into.
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Pharmacist
Average Annual Salary: $119,686Women can expect to earn big salaries as pharmacists. On average, a woman earns over $98,000 annually as a pharmacist. The salary is high since it requires extra education (a Doctor of Pharmacy degree) and licenses.
Still, since most pharmacists work in grocery or drug stores, the hours can be regular and flexible, unlike other medical professions.
Pharmacist skills: Many pharmacists have skills in:
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Attention to detail
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Communication
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Science and math
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Management
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Lawyer
Average Annual Salary: $121,347Women can earn a lot of money as lawyers because of the education and qualification requirements, like a law degree and passing the bar exam. There are many fields within law that you can choose to work in, like family law, corporate law, and environmental law.
Depending on your field, you can have typical working hours or a more demanding schedule, so pick what fits your lifestyle best. Because of the education requirements and work schedule, salaries are high, and women earn over $91,000 a year as lawyers.
Lawyer skills: Many lawyers have skills in:
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Communication
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Problem-solving
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Research
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Attention to detail
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Registered nurse
Average Annual Salary: $63,827Nursing jobs have always been a popular career choice for women. Since the field has many women, there tends to be less of a pay gap in nursing jobs.
There are plenty of diverse opportunities, too, since registered nurses are always in demand, and you can specialize in a field that you like. To become a registered nurse, you’ll need to get an appropriate degree, pass the NCLEX exam, and earn your license.
Registered nurse skills: Many registered nurses have skills in:
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Critical thinking
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Empathy
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Assertiveness
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Attention to detail
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Marketing analyst
Average Annual Salary: $54,064Another career path that’s on the rise for women is in marketing. Women are slowly making up the majority of marketing positions. With the industry’s usually regular working hours, opportunities for advancement, and a wide range of roles, anyone can find a great fit in marketing.
If you love data, marketing analysts are always in demand, but you can also find opportunities to be creative with writing and design roles.
Marketing analyst skills: Many marketing analysts have skills in:
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Research
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Statistical analysis
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Communication
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Organization
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Chief executive officer
Average Annual Salary: $190,627Women tend to do well in management roles, and working as a CEO is no exception. While the pay gap tends to be higher in executive roles, women can still expect to earn about $90,000 a year on average.
There are plenty of opportunities to find a position in every industry, but CEO roles are notorious for their long hours and challenging work.
CEO skills: Many CEOs have skills in:
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Leadership
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Communication
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Strategic planning
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Ethics
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Public relations specialist
Average Annual Salary: $43,279Like marketing, women are slowly taking over the PR profession. About 65% of people working in PR are women thanks to its high salaries, more or less regardless of gender. If you like working on many projects at once, writing, thinking creatively, and talking to people, PR might be a good path for you.
Public relations specialist skills: Many public relations specialists have skills in:
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Communication
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Social media
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Problem-solving
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Time management
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Information systems manager
Average Annual Salary: $125,384As technology becomes more and more essential to our everyday lives, there’s a huge demand for people to manage the computer and information systems that rule our tech.
Jobs for women in STEM fields get a bad reputation because of the masculine work environments, pay gaps, and difficulty to land a job. Still, women are changing the industry and making generous salaries while doing it. Most women earn $89,000 a year on average in computer systems manager positions.
Information systems manager skills: Many information systems managers have skills in:
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Computer science and programming
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Management
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Problem-solving
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Communication
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Veterinarian
Average Annual Salary: $126,372If you’re an animal lover, consider becoming a veterinarian. While there are requirements like attending veterinarian school, taking an oath, and getting clinical experience, it’s much less demanding than human medical fields.
Women make up a large portion of the field (about 75% of vets are women) and can earn six figures for their work.
Veterinarian skills: Many veterinarians have skills in:
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Critical thinking
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Communication
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Leadership
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Attention to detail
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Sales manager
Average Annual Salary: $81,511Again, women tend to do well in management positions and get compensated accordingly. On average, female sales managers earn about $70,000 a year. Unlike other jobs on this list, there aren’t too many requirements to become a sales manager.
Typically a bachelor’s degree in a related field (like marketing, communications, or business administration) and lots of relevant work experience is enough to land a job.
Sales manager skills: Many sales managers have skills in:
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Interpersonal communication
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Leadership
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Strategic planning
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Delegation
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Physical therapist
Average Annual Salary: $69,890Physical therapists have become more in demand as people start to take holistic approaches to their health. Women can do exceptionally well as physical therapists, earning an average of $72,000 a year, and the pay gap between men and women in the field is one of the lowest.
To be a physical therapist, you’ll need to get a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, get a license, and gain clinical experience.
Physical therapist skills: Many pharmacists have skills in:
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Empathy
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Treatment planning
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Communication
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Physical stamina
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Software developer
Average Annual Salary: $80,437As another STEM role, software developers are in high demand, and the field is only expected to grow more. If you love coding, designing apps, or anything similar, this could be a great way to make money doing what you love.
There aren’t many requirements to enter the field and plenty of diverse opportunities across industries for you to choose from. While the gender pay gap can be significant in STEM fields, women still earn, on average, $85,000 a year as software developers.
Software developer skills: Many software developers have skills in:
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Coding
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Problem-solving
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Collaboration
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Attention to detail
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Physician
Average Annual Salary: $176,157No longer a field dominated by men, women are becoming physicians and making up about 40% of all physicians and surgeons. There are plenty of fields to choose from, depending on what kind of medicine you’re passionate about.
You can work with other women as an OB/GYN, children as a pediatrician, or choose a medical specialty to focus on. The gender pay gap can be high in medicine (sometimes, women only earn 66% of men’s salaries), but you can still expect to earn around $87,000 a year on average.
Physician skills: Many physicians have skills in:
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Leadership
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Communication
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Attention to detail
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Problem-solving
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Human resources manager
Average Annual Salary: $80,699HR offices tend to have lots of women, particularly in manager roles. In fact, women make up over 75% of HR managers. If you love talking to people and resolving issues, HR might be a good fit for you.
You’ll get to handle employee affairs (like payroll and benefits), interview potential new hires, and occasionally resolve workplace disputes, so it can be a very active role. On average, women earn nearly $70,000 a year as human resources managers.
Human resources manager skills: Many human resources managers have skills in:
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Data analysis
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Communication
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Teaching/training
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Decision making
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Management analyst
Average Annual Salary: $74,353Management analysts, also called consultants, are responsible for helping an organization find more efficient ways of working. They can work in-house and evaluate one company’s workflows, or they can work for a consulting company that works on many different projects for multiple clients.
To be a management analyst, you typically only need a bachelor’s degree in a related field and work experience in consulting. The good news is that the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects these roles to grow about 11% by 2029, so there will be plenty of new opportunities.
Management analyst skills: Many management analysts have skills in:
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Data analysis
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Problem-solving
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Communication
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Creativity
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Psychologist
Average Annual Salary: $72,956This is another field dominated by women, who make up over 80% of all psychologists. It does take some time to become a psychologist, though. You’ll need to get a bachelor’s degree, usually in psychology.
After school, you’ll need work experience, a master’s degree, and eventually a doctorate in psychology. Once you’ve gotten all your degrees, you’ll need to get a license to become a psychologist. Despite all of the steps it takes to become a psychologist, you can expect to earn, on average, around $80,000 a year.
Psychologist skills: Many psychologists have skills in:
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Patience
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Communication
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Ethics
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Problem-solving
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Speech language pathologist
Average Annual Salary: $62,340The medical profession has opened up tremendously to women, and being a speech language pathologist is adjacent to that. As the position is highly specialized and requires a lot of education, it’s highly paid.
Speech language pathologists assess, diagnose, and treat communication and swallowing disorders. Many of your clients will either be children or those recovering from brain damage or accidents. Helping restore their clients’ ability to communicate is hugely rewarding, and allows you to interact with a wide range of people in all stages of their lives.
Speech language pathologist skills: Many speech language pathologists have skills in:
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Communication
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Organization
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Empathy
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Attention to detail
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Average Annual Salary: $129,941
Both management and healthcare roles are welcoming to women, and both are high-paid professions. A medical manager can manage an entire hospital, a department, a clinic, or a private practice. It doesn’t require a medically related degree, though a lot of medical managers will have a nursing or health care administration degree.
As a medical manager, you’ll oversee the operations side of a medical practice, whatever size it may be. You’ll also be responsible for making sure that the practice complies with the requisite laws and regulations, along with managing the budget.
Medical manager skills: Many medical managers have skills in:
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Organization
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Budgeting
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Management
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Communication
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Avrage Annual Salary: $157,570
Becoming a professor isn’t easy: it requires a lot of education and more than a little luck. However, academia has opened up tremendously to women, and many colleges and universities heavily stress inclusion and equality, meaning that they work hard to have diverse workforces and treat them equitably.
As a professor, you’d be responsible for teaching classes, doing research in your field, publishing a set number of papers, and attending conferences as needed. Getting tenure is difficult, but if you manage it, it’s also a highly stable position with guaranteed job security.
Professor skills: Many professors have skills in:
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Analysis
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Attention to detail
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Communication
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Research
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Average Annual Salary: $91,788
This is a job where there are more women than men, which means that it’s welcoming to women in general. The work is commission-based, meaning that what salary you end up making can vary wildly, but successful real estate agents get paid quite well.
As a real estate agent, you’ll be responsible for keeping track of properties, showing potential buyers the property, answering questions, and doing the needed paperwork. It requires a lot of interaction with potential customers, as well as spending a lot of time outside the office.
Real estate agent skills: Many real estate agents have skills in:
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Communication
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Organization
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Customer service
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Business
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Decision making
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Leadership
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Organization
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Instructional design
Average Annual Salary: $53,226
This job is focused on creating curriculums for schools and teachers. It isn’t a job that you can step right into, as it requires training and experience in a related field, such as teaching. You will spend a lot of time organizing, planning, and looking over the state requirements.
Being a successful curriculum developer requires extensive knowledge of the education system, as well as knowledge of teaching and learning. Curriculums are also invariably going to be critiqued and criticized, meaning that you have to be willing to deal with negative comments.
Curriculum developer skills: Many curriculum developers have skills in:
Final thoughts
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, about 57.4% of women were part of the workforce, compared to 69.9% of men. As women continue to work, more and more opportunities appear for them to find rewarding careers and earn competitive salaries in their fields.
Despite the growing role of women in the American workforce, the pay gap is unfortunately still very real. In most occupations, women are being paid less than men for the same work. In a 2018 study, the Pew Research Center found that, on average, across the board, women earned 85% of the salaries that men earned.
The gender pay gap exists for many reasons, including differences in educational opportunities between the genders, gender discrimination, and disruptions in career paths due to caregiving responsibilities. While the pay gap is not something that will be resolved easily or quickly, certain professions are more supportive of women.
If you’re looking for a job that pays well, finding a field where women make up a large portion of the workforce is a good place to start. Industries like healthcare and law tend to have many women who earn competitive salaries for their work. Management positions also have a reputation for being high-paying jobs, with many women in management roles.
In other cases, women can earn big salaries in fields where you need lots of education or other specialized requirements. Jobs that require master’s or doctorate degrees tend to pay higher because of their demanding requirements.
Sometimes location can be a factor in salaries for women too. Keep this in mind when considering your career goals and career planning since job opportunities and salaries can change depending on which state you’re working in. Even more specific than that, salary opportunities can vary by city, like in Massachusetts and South Carolina, where conditions are better in some regions of the state.
High paying jobs for women FAQ
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Are women still underrepresented in the best paying jobs?
Yes, women are still underrepresented in the highest-paying jobs. Progress has been made and women have been able to break into all sorts of industries and professions, but there are still very few women in the highest-paying jobs in the U.S.
For instance, only 74 of the CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies are women, according to the World Economic Forum.
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Is it difficult for older women to find jobs?
Finding a job at any age can be difficult, but if you have the requisite experience and education, you should be able to find a job that works for you. It’s illegal for potential employers to discriminate based on the applicant’s age or gender.
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What are the most popular jobs for women?
As of 2021, registered nurses, elementary and middle school teachers, and administrative assistants are the three jobs that have the highest number of women employed in them by raw numbers. All of these are considered pink-collar jobs.
References
Author
Amanda is a writer with experience in various industries, including travel, real estate, and career advice. After taking on internships and entry-level jobs, she is familiar with the job search process and landing that crucial first job. Included in her experience is work at an employer/intern matching startup where she marketed an intern database to employers and supported college interns looking for work experience.
