Special Report

20 Worst Paying Jobs for Women

Source: Thinkstock

15. Designers
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 73.1%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $857
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,172
> Number of workers: 600,000 (45.5% women)

Designers working the arts and entertainment sector report one the largest gender pay gaps of any job in the U.S. labor market. The occupation includes graphic designers, set designers, and fashion designers. The typical woman working as a designer earns $44,564 a year, just 73% of the median income of $60,944 among men in the profession. Across all occupations, the typical woman earns about 82% of the typical man.

While the wage gap is far worse for designers than it is in most jobs, employment composition closely matches the average across all jobs. Some 45.5% of American designers are women, in line with the 44.4% of women in the workforce as a whole.

Source: RCarner / iStock

14. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 73.0%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $589
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $807
> Number of workers: 2,828,000 (4.9% women)

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers pick up, transport, and drop off packages and shipments, and fewer than 5% of all workers in the occupation are female. One of the most male dominated occupations in the country, it also has one with the worst gender pay gaps. Female drivers typically earn just 73% of what their male counterparts earn, far worse than the 82% pay gap across all occupations.

The wage gap in the profession has added implications as the job is low paying to begin with. The median annual income for female drivers is just $30,628, compared to $41,964 men earn and the median income across all jobs of $44,720.

Source: KatarzynaBialasiewicz / iStock

13. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 72.7%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $453
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $623
> Number of workers: 362,000 (14.9% women)

Only about 15% of all taxi drivers and chauffeurs in the United States are women, well below the 44.4% share of women across all occupations. Women who work as taxi drivers and chauffeurs are paid far less than men in the same job. The typical female taxi driver earns just $23,556 a year, about $9,000 less than the median income for male taxi drivers.

A recent study conducted jointly between Stanford University and the University of Chicago found that much of the gender pay gap among Uber drivers is attributable to the fact that men drive 2.2% faster on average than female drivers.

Source: monkeybusinessimages / iStock

12. Other teachers and instructors
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 72.7%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $820
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,128
> Number of workers: 419,000 (63.2% women)

Other teachers include support occupations for primary and secondary school teachers as well as specialized school instructors. Though 63.2% of people in the profession are women, they are paid far less than men in the same job. The typical female in the occupation earns an estimated $42,640 a year, about $16,000 less than the typical male in the profession. Because the other teachers category is a catch all designation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more men might be drawn to higher paying jobs within the occupational category, which would partly explain the wage gap.

Source: Szepy / iStock

11. Credit counselors and loan officers
> Women’s earnings as pct. of men’s: 71.9%
> Women’s median weekly earnings: $958
> Men’s median weekly earnings: $1,332
> Number of workers: 320,000 (60.3% women)

Credit counselors and loan officers evaluate loan applications and advise on debt management and debt acquisition for businesses and individuals. On an annual basis, the typical male working in the field earns an estimated $69,264 a year. Meanwhile, the estimated median annual pay for women is only $49,816.

Unequal pay in the financial industry may be a more serious problem than in other sectors. Credit counselors and loan officers are one of several finance-related occupations with a near nation-leading gender pay gap.

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