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The gender gap in pay is 43% lower in occupations that have a similar proportion of men and women

If we classify occupations according to the proportion of men and women in them, we find that 53.7% are masculinized (i.e. more than 65% of the workforce are men) and only 14.8% are mixed gender (i.e. between 40% and 60% of the workforce are men). The figures for average hourly wages show that the gender pay gap in male-dominated occupations is 14.7% and 11.1% in female-dominated occupations, whereas in mixed gender occupations it is 8.4%, i.e. 43% and 24% lower, respectively. The more equal the proportion of men and women in an occupation, the smaller the pay differences. One recommendation to reduce the wage gap is to redesign educational policies at all stages so as to provide career guidance based on people’s capabilities rather than their gender.