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Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Tips for Achieving Fair Pay in the Tech Industry as a Woman

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The tech industry is often seen as a field with limitless potential for growth and advancement, but for many women, the reality is far different. Despite progress in some areas, the gender pay gap remains a persistent issue in the tech industry, with women often earning less than their male counterparts for the same work. A Dice report found in 2020 that women in technology jobs earn on average $16,000 less per year than men in equivalent roles. Additionally, women hold only 25% of all computing jobs, and they are underrepresented in leadership positions in the tech industry. This disparity can have a significant impact on a woman’s financial stability and long-term financial health.

The wage gap for women in technology compared to men is a significant issue. As a woman in tech, it’s important to know your worth and have the skills and confidence to negotiate fair pay. In this article, we’ll provide tips and strategies for breaking the glass ceiling and achieving fair pay in the tech industry.

How to Overcome Unconscious Bias

Part of the wage gap is attributed to unconscious bias that can affect hiring, promotion, and compensation decisions, leading to a lack of representation for women and minorities in leadership positions. So, how do you overcome unconscious bias?

  1. Be aware of the wage gap and understand the factors that contribute to it. This will help you to identify any potential biases or discrimination that may be affecting your earnings.
  2. Research the typical salary range for your role in the tech industry and use that information to negotiate your salary. Several states, such as Colorado and California, recently passed laws that require salary ranges on all job postings. By looking for similar roles posted in those states, you can get a general idea for the salary range. Many other sites such as Glassdoor, ChatGPT and Google Search can also be used to get a salary range for your role. Use this data when you go into negotiate a raise or promotion.
  3. Build a network of other women in the tech industry. They can provide support and guidance, as well as serve as advocates for you in the workplace. Great places to meet other women in the industry include tech conferences and women’s conferences.
  4. Seek out mentors and sponsors who can help you advance in your career and advocate for you when opportunities arise.

Structural Changes Are Also Necessary To Close the Wage Gap

It’s important to note that closing the wage gap also must include structural changes in the industry and the society. Efforts to close the wage gap include increasing representation of women and minorities in technology, promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and advocating for fair pay policies. How can you be a part of these structural changes to reduce the wage gap?

  1. Keep learning and developing new skills, like coding, or consider going into tech sales. Software development and tech sales are both high paying career paths. Learning the skills required for the higher paying jobs at your company will help you increase your pay.
  2. Don’t be afraid to ask to shadow someone who has the job you want. If you already work for the company, it is much easier to move into a role that initially seems like a stretch. But, it’s important to learn on the job and start building the right network. This will help overcome not getting the first interview because you don’t have the right qualifications. Asking for a job referral will also help increase the chance of a first interview.
  3. Seek out companies and organizations that prioritize diversity and have a history of closing the wage gap. For example, at large corporations do they have employee resource groups? A VP or SVP of Diversity and Inclusion? Have they made public the % of their current workforce that are women and what % of their leadership positions are held by women?
  4. Be aware of your rights, and if you face discrimination or unequal pay, do not hesitate to report it and seek legal assistance if necessary.

Laws to Help Drive Change

It’s important to note that the wage gap is not solely caused by discrimination, it’s a complex phenomenon that is influenced by a variety of factors such as differences in occupation, education, experience and hours worked, among other things. However, studies have shown that discrimination in the workplace is one of the factors that contribute to the wage gap. Efforts to close the wage gap have been made with laws like the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, but there’s still work to be done to achieve equal pay for equal work. Though there is still plenty of work to be done, you have the power to help drive change for other women and there are steps you can take to help close a wage gap you’re personally experiencing.

Tips for Achieving Fair Pay in the Tech Industry as a Woman Summary

In conclusion, achieving fair pay in the tech industry as a woman can be a challenge, but it’s important to remember that you have the power to advocate for yourself and negotiate the salary you deserve. Whether you’re just starting your career in tech or are looking to advance in your current role, by understanding your worth, building your negotiation skills, and having the confidence to ask for what you deserve, you can break through the glass ceiling and achieve the financial stability you deserve. Remember, your work and contributions are valuable, and you deserve to be fairly compensated for them.

Why Learning to Code is a Valuable Investment for Your Career and Future

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Learning to code is a valuable skill that can open up a wide range of opportunities in today’s digital world. Whether you’re looking to become a software developer, data scientist, or simply want to automate tasks and solve problems more efficiently, coding is a powerful tool that can help you achieve your goals. Additionally, coding is in high demand in the job market and learning to code can lead to better job prospects and higher earning potential. Furthermore, coding can also be a fun and rewarding hobby that allows you to create and build things from scratch. Overall, learning to code is a valuable investment that can provide job security, increased employability, higher earning potential, the ability to create and flexibility.

Automation Will Change The Jobs Available

While no one knows exactly how many jobs are at risk of being automated, one study by the McKinsey Global Institute estimates up to 800 million jobs could be automated by 2030. Though automation has the potential to destroy jobs, it also has the potential to create jobs. New job opportunities are created in areas like programming, data analysis and technical support.

It is difficult to predict how automation will affect the job market in the future, so it’s best to start planning now and learning new skills that will be in high demand, like coding. This way, you are prepared to adopt to a changing job market.

Not sure how to get your foot in the door at a technology company? Hear these tips for getting a job in IT from 10 technology professionals who used creative ways to get their first technology job.

Increased Employability

Tech companies have had a lot of openings over the past few years for programmers. And, while tech has dominated recent headlines with layoff news there are still a ton of software engineering jobs posted on Indeed. It’s also not just technology companies that hire coding skills. Many industries rely on technology and are also in need of skilled programmers. Learning to code can increase your competitiveness in the job market and open up new employment opportunities.

Coding Skills Offer Higher Earning Potential

Due to the demand for these skills, programmers and other professionals with coding skills often command a higher salary. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2021 median salary for Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers was $109,000. This is compared to an average salary of $58,000 in the US in 2021 according to the Social Security Administration. With coding skills, you have a likelihood of RSUs (restricted stock units), or equity in a private company. Not only will you have a higher earning potential, but you may also have better access to corporate benefits.

The Ability To Create

One of the most compelling reasons to learn how to code is the ability to create. With coding skills, you have the power to bring your ideas to life and build something from scratch or add a cool new feature to something existing. Whether it’s a website, mobile app, game, or software program, the possibilities are endless. Coding allows you to design and develop your own projects, and bring your vision to reality. Additionally, coding gives you the ability to customize existing tools and software to better suit your needs and make your work more efficient. The ability to create and build things is a powerful incentive to learn how to code.

Coding Skills Enable Flexibility With Your Location And Time

Having in demand skills offers you more flexibility. It’s easier to negotiate a remote or hybrid work schedule. And, many of these jobs are remote or hybrid already. You can become more entrepreneurial and help bring someone’s idea to life. In regards to companies, you can be your own boss and freelance, work for a startup or large corporation.

Learning to code can be a challenging and time-consuming process. However, the increased employability, higher earning potential, ability to create and flexibility make it worthwhile to learn how to code.

Virtual vs In-Person Women’s Conferences: Which Is Right For You?

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Back in 2019, I wrote about why you should attend a women’s conference and a follow up post highlighting the Best Conferences for Women. I had attended these conferences in person for years and felt they really helped my career. But, there was very little information out there on how to make the most of attending a women’s conference. I wrote about my personal experiences and advice on getting the most out of attending these conferences. Then, in 2020, these conferences were cancelled for a few years. Starting in 2022, these conferences were back being offered in person and also virtual. I had the opportunity to attend the virtual Texas Conference for Women the last two years. Here’s my updated experience on attending both in person and virtual women’s conferences and why I recommend attending in person moving forward.

Benefits of Attending A Women’s Conference In General

The Main Stage and Breakout Session Speakers

Whether you decide to attend a women’s conference in person or virtually, you can expect a great selection of main stage speakers and breakouts. Every main stage speaker is so inspirational and has always motivated me to aim higher by the end.

The breakout sessions you attend give you more tangible knowledge on what to change to be more successful. Whether you attend in person or virtual doesn’t matter as much to learn from the breakout sessions.

Now that many conferences offer a virtual option, they also have replays available. If there were multiple breakout sessions you wanted to attend, you can now watch them after the conference.

Attending a Women’s Conference Improves Your Odds Of A Salary Increase

It turns out if you attend a women’s conference your odds of increasing your salary are higher and on average you’ll feel more optimistic about the future if you attend a women’s conference. Prior to the pandemic, the Harvard Business Review shared a study about 2,600 women that attended a women’s conference. They found that a year later there were positive outcomes with only 5% of women in the control group receiving a pay increase of more than 10% compared with the 15% of women who attended the conference. Hopefully another study is done that compares in person to virtual in the future.

Benefits of Attending A Women’s Conference In Person

Networking Opportunities With Other Women

Attending a women’s conference in person allows for great networking opportunities with coworkers, and other female leaders. Typically, there are a lot of women from the companies that are sponsoring the program, so it’s a great opportunity to network with other companies you may be interested in. Additionally, many companies have an employee referral program. If you make a strong enough connection, having that referral can increase your odds of landing that interview and will also help the referrer get a bonus.

Taking Advantage of the Freebies on the Exhibit Floor

One of my absolute favorite parts of the in person conference format is the exhibit floor. Prior to the pandemic the floor had a station for getting hair and makeup done for free and other stations for getting a professional photograph done for free. I am probably not the only person that is very ready for a new LinkedIn photo! Especially now that I am full time remote and haven’t worn a blazer since late 2019.

See Also: 10 Pieces of Career Advice for Young Professionals

No Distractions

When you attend a women’s conference virtually, you don’t have your computer out. You put up an OOO and take advantage of being at the conference. Even though you may decide to connect with someone and skip a breakout session, you’re benefiting from networking. When you attend virtually though, you need your computer to attend the conference. Even if you put up the OOO message, your email is still right there. So are your IMs popping up on the right bottom corner of your screen. It’s harder to give your devoted attention to the conference. It’s much easier to say, there is a break during this time so I’ll take a meeting. Then, the meeting runs over or doesn’t line up perfectly to the break and you miss parts of the conference. It’s also easier to say you’ll take the meeting and watch a replay later.

Benefits of Attending a Women’s Conference Virtually

More Convenient to Attend A Conference Virtually

The virtual women’s conferences are much easier to attend. Don’t live near a city hosting a women’s conference? Now, you can join from your computer. You don’t have to worry about flying into another city to attend. Life is busy, and setting aside an entire day to go to a conference (or longer if you have to travel in!) is hard. Sometimes, the value of attending in person doesn’t outweigh the effort to do so. If the options are not attend at all, or attend part of the conference virtually it’s better to attend what you can virtually.

Cheaper to Attend Virtually

The tickets to the virtual conference are cheaper than the tickets to attend the conference in person. Because of this, companies can buy tickets for more employees than before and spend the same amount. If your company doesn’t offer tickets to a women’s conference, it is also more likely you can go to your boss and ask for a virtual ticket to be expensed.

Verdict: Attend the In Person Conference Women’s Conference If You Can

I attended an in person women’s conference for the majority of years the first decade of my career. In that time, I got promoted 4 times in 9 years. What I learned by attending these conferences around negotiation, leadership attributes and networking definitely helped me get those promotions. More recently, I have only attended the virtual conferences since the pandemic. During those virtual conferences, I am guilty of responding to IMs, jumping on calls when asked and not watching the replays following the conference. I didn’t make the most of the virtual option and also missed my favorite parts like running into people I haven’t seen in a while and the exhibit floor.

After spending the last two years attending women’s conferences remotely I’ve realized that I prefer the in person experience. I miss the only distractions being people you’ve met at the conference, building those relationships and discussing the sessions with other attendees immediately after. While I haven’t received a job offer from attending these conferences, seeing people in person helped strengthen relationships that resulted in career sponsorships. I also enjoy walking the exhibit floor and dedicating a full day to learning. It’s nice to not have to travel but for me I will look to attending in person again in the future.

Ultimately, whether attending a women’s conference virtually or in person depends on your personal goals and priorities. Your budget and availability will be key drivers in this decision. Have you attended a Women’s Conference in person and virtually? Did you prefer attending in person or virtually?