20 Jobs That Have Become Dominated by Women

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5. Graders and sorters, agricultural products
> 16 yr. change in share of women: 12.0 ppt.
> 2016 female workers: 21,342 (65.0% of total)
> 2000 female workers: 6,240 (53.0% of total)
> Median earnings: $21,235

The number of graders and sorters of agricultural products in the United States nearly tripled between 2000 and 2017. Women accounted for the overwhelming majority of the increase, climbing from 6,240 workers in 2000 to 21,342 in 2016.

Most jobs on this list are higher paying than average, but graders and sorters of agricultural products is not one of them. The median income among all workers in the occupation is just $21,235, less than half the median annual wage across all occupations. While wages are low for graders and sorters of agricultural products, they are relatively equal along gender lines. The median income for females in the occupation is 90.6% of the median income among males. Across all occupations, women earn just 80.2% of what men in the same jobs earn.

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4. Public relations and fundraising managers
> 16 yr. change in share of women: 12.6 ppt.
> 2016 female workers: 34,416 (67.3% of total)
> 2000 female workers: 29,480 (54.7% of total)
> Median earnings: $77,835

In 2000, about 55% of all public relations and fundraising managers were women. Today, over two-thirds are. Over the last 17 years, the number of women working in the field increased by about 5,000, while the number of men dropped by about 8,000.

PR and fundraising managers is one of the highest paying jobs on this list with one of the smallest gender pay gaps. The median income among workers in the profession is $77,835 a year, well above the $45,860 median income across all occupations. Additionally, women earn about 90% of what the typical male in the occupation earns, considerably better from the 80% gender pay gap across all jobs nationwide.

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3. Pharmacists
> 16 yr. change in share of women: 15.5 ppt.
> 2016 female workers: 117,126 (54.6% of total)
> 2000 female workers: 57,610 (39.1% of total)
> Median earnings: $120,878

Since 2000, the number of women working as pharmacists roughly doubled from 57,610 to 117,126. Less than two decades ago, fewer than 40% of pharmacists were women. As of 2016, over half of all pharmacists in the United States were female.

The typical pharmacist earns about $121,000 annually, more than double the $46,000 median annual wage across all occupations. Not only are pharmacists highly compensated, but also the occupation’s gender wage gap is nearly non-existent. Female pharmacists earn about 97% of what their male counterparts take home, up from 89% in 2000, and far more than the 80% gender wage gap across all occupations.

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2. Natural sciences managers
> 16 yr. change in share of women: 22.5 ppt.
> 2016 female workers: 9,452 (52.8% of total)
> 2000 female workers: 4,990 (30.3% of total)
> Median earnings: $92,161

The natural science management occupation is one that involves planning and directing the work of scientists in any number of fields, including life science, physical science, math, and statistics. Within the last two decades, fewer than one in three natural science managers were female. Today, over half are. The change was due to both a declining number of men in the field and an increasing number of women. Between 2000 and 2017, the number of men working as natural science managers fell from 11,500 to 8,464. Meanwhile, the number of women in the occupation nearly doubled from 4,990 to 9,452 over the same period.

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1. Veterinarians
> 16 yr. change in share of women: 25.1 ppt.
> 2016 female workers: 38,885 (59.1% of total)
> 2000 female workers: 15,140 (34.0% of total)
> Median earnings: $90,063

No job has become dominated by women faster than veterinarians. The number of women employed as veterinarians has more than doubled since 2000, resulting in a 25 percentage point increase in the share of female vets. Not all jobs on this list pay well. But with educational requirements as or more rigorous as physicians for humans, the median earnings for veterinarians of $90,063 is one of the highest in the nation. The rising share of female animal doctors mirrors the longstanding trend of women entering science and engineering occupations at higher rates.