The tech industry is thriving more than ever as companies are exploding and attracting new hires to the space. From CPG products to wearable tech, or software and apps to hardware advancements, technology is everchanging. But, behind the scenes, many people consider it a “boys club.” Is there gender diversity in tech? Not quite.
So, what does gender diversity in tech look like? What are some women in tech statistics that paint a better picture of where this diversity stands? That’s what this post is all about.
Read on for nothing but 43 facts all about women in tech. These statistics will share the good, the bad, and the ugly about gender diversity in the advancing tech sectors.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
The top women in tech statistics in 2024
- Women make up 33% of the tech-related workforce
- Black women CEOs are paid 38% less than white male CEOs
- 50% of women in tech leave their job before the age of 35
- Over 50% of women in tech report harassment and sexism
- 3% of women in tech identify as black
- 1.7% of women in tech identify as latinx
- Female founders receive 2% of VC funding
- Businesses with a diverse executive team are 25% more likely to have above average profitability
Gender diversity in tech statistics
Are females underrepresented in tech?
1. Women make up 47% of the US workforce, but only 25% of computing roles
(CIO)
A study found that gender diversity in the U.S. workforce is nearly 50/50 between men and women, but that shifts significantly when looking at tech-related roles. Just one-quarter of computing roles were held by women in 2015, and this number has remained consistent today.
2. The representation of women in tech is less than 3 in 10 people
(Anitab)
In 2022, the representation of women in tech was an estimated 27.6%. Last year’s growth rate was just 0.9%, and analysts say this isn’t enough to achieve gender equality any time soon. Even at a consistent growth rate of nearly 5% per year, it would take approximately 12 years to achieve equal representation in the tech industry.
3. The number of women in tech increased less than 1% in 2022
(Anitab)
In the past 5 years, the percentage of women represented in tech increased by nearly 3%, until a large 2.1% dip in 2021. In 2020, women made up 28.8% but in 2021, it dipped to 26.7%. This figure is rising so in 2022 women make up 27.6% in tech.
| Year | Women in tech |
| 2022 | 27.6% |
| 2021 | 26.7% |
| 2020 | 28.8% |
4. Women only represent 33% of the workforce at large tech companies
(Deloitte)
What is the percentage of women in tech? As of today, it’s estimated at 33%. Many tech organizations worldwide are managing to keep female representation on an upward trajectory, but this increase is minimal (about 1% per year).
5. 45% of employees are women at Amazon, while only 29% are at Microsoft
(Statista)
Based on self-reported company figures, women employees make up less than 30% at Microsoft and 45% at Amazon, two of America’s largest tech companies. However, when considering true tech jobs within those companies, the number drops significantly. Fewer than 1 in 4 technical roles are women.
6. 50% of women in tech leave their jobs by age 35
(Accenture)
The proportion of women who go into tech has decreased in the past 35 year and now,, half of the women in tech will leave their jobs by age 35. This is substantial compared to 20% of women who leave by this age in other fields. Why? One reason could be the lack of job advancements for women. Women in tech have only a 28% chance of becoming a manger, compared to 40% of men.
7. Women hold 26.5% of executive, senior-level, and management position in S&P 500 companies
(Statista)
When it comes to leadership positions, women in the technology sector are in stride with the rest of the economy. Women make up almost 27% of leadership position in tech, but many tech companies exceed this percentage.
8. Only 86 women are promoted to manager for every 100 men
(McKinsey)
According to a 2021 study, only 86 women are promoted to manager for every 100 men at the same level. When it comes to technical roles, the gender gap gets even greater. In technical manager positions, only 52 women are promoted for every 100 men.
What is the ratio of men to women in technology?
9. The ratio of men to women in tech firms is about 3:1
(Deloitte)
What is the gender ratio in tech companies? Deloitte reports that of the large global technology firms, the average overall female representation sits at 33% in 2022. That’s up two percentage points from 2019. That means today, the ratio of men to women in technoloy is about 3:1.
10. The men to women ratio in technical roles is 4:1
(Deloitte)
When it comes to more technical roles, men hold 75% of technical jobs while women make up just one-quarter of them. Technical roles involve those in computer science, programming, data science, or software engineering.
11. The majority of women in tech are outnumbered by men by at least 2:1
(CIO)
Nearly three-quarters, 72%, of women in tech report that they’re outnumbered by men in business meetings by 2:1—or more. Over one-quarter of women, 26%, say this ratio has women outnumbered by men by 5:1 or more.
Women in STEM
12. About 34% of all STEM workers are women
(Society of Women Engineers)
A 2022 report revealed that over one-third of STEM employers are in fact women. Women make up 44% of STEM workers with at least a bachelor’s degree, an increase from 42% in 2010. For STEM workers with no bachelors degree, women still represented a reported 26% of the workforce.
13. 31% of women with STEM degrees entered STEM occupations
(Society of Women Engineers)
This women in tech statistic is especially interesting, considering only 27% of college graduates go into a field related to their degree. Of the 31% of women who went into STEM careers, only 8.9% worked in engineering-specific occupations, compared to 20.9% of men who did.
14. Less than 20% of women earned computer science degrees
(CIO)
A small portion of women choose to pursue STEM degrees at all. In 2016, only 19% of bachelor level computer science degrees were earned by women. Scarier yet, this is a significant 8% drop from the 27% of women who got the same degree in 1997.
15. Women make up just 14% of the total software engineering workforce
(Built In)
When it comes to STEM, women are underrepresented. In the last 21 years, the hiring of women software engineers has only increased 2%. This trend is common across all STEM careers as women only represent 25% of the total workforce in science-related jobs.
Gender pay gap in tech
16. The average salary of women in tech is over $15,000 less than men
(CIO)
The average salary of men in tech is $108,711, but this average is $93,591 for women – and that figured represents those who report being “satisfied” with their compensation. For those dissatisfied with their salary, men report this dissatisfaction still outearning an average of over $10,000. The average salary for dissatisfied men in tech is over $81k, compare to $69k of women in the same field.
17. 38% of women in tech are unsatisfied with their pay
(CIO)
Considering the last women in tech statistic, it’s no surprise that 38% of women are unsatisfied with their compensation. This is a 5% higher response than the 33% of men in tech who are unhappy with their salaries.
18. Women earn 87% of the average men’s salary in tech
(Accenture)
The gender pay gap within the U.S. is evident, however this pay gap is less within tech. Women’s median earnings overall in the United States are estimated to be about 80% of the average men’s earning. In tech, women average 7% higher making about 87% of a man’s earnings.
19. Companies with over 50% female leadership are more likely to offer equal pay
(CIO)
Women care more about compensation than men, 52% versus 33%. On the flip side, 75% of men think their employer offers equal pay while just 42% of women think the same thing. Either way, having women in leadership helps lessen the pay gap.
20. 30% of women over 35 are still in junior tech positions, compared to just 5% of men despite software competency
(The Next Web)
Six times the amount (30%) of women in tech remain in junior positions compared to men (5%) eventhough women are competent in popular development softwares. Less than 50% of women aged 25-34 are Senior Developers, but 85% of men in the same age range are. Meanwhile, 60% of women claim competency in Java and JavaScript with another 40% competent in C++ and Python.
Women of color in tech
21. 64% of new women-owned businesses are started by those of color
(Built In)
For every 10 businesses launched by women, more than 6 of them are started by women of color. Almost half, 40%, of US business are owned by women.
22. Women of color only make up 18% of entry-level positions
(Built In)
The “broken rung” on the career ladder is worse for women, but even more so for women of color. They only make up 18% of entry-level positions compared to 30% of white women, or 35% of white men. Meanwhile, Asian, black and Latina women reported a higher desire to be promoted than white men or women, but they’re promoted less often.
23. 11% more diverse women feel less optimistic about career prospects than other women in TMT
(Deloitte)
In TMT (technology, media, telecommunications), a substantial 59% of diverse women reported feeling less optimistic about career prospects today than before the pandemic. This is compared to less than half (48%) of other TMT women who had this same feeling.
24. 52% of diverse women in tech rate their work/life balance as poor
(Deloitte)
According to a 2021 study of TMT (technology, media, telecommunications) women, over half of those racially and ethnically diverse rated their work/life balance as poor or extremely poor. Meanwhile, just 43% of other TMT women gave this same rating.
25. Less than 1% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women of color
(Women Business Collaborative)
Three more women have become CEOs of Fortune 500 companies since September 2021, bringing the total from 41 to 44. This is an all time high, although, women make up just 8.8% of the Fortune 500 CEOs. Of this, only 1% are women of color.
26. Black women only represent 3% of women in tech
(CIO)
A study revealed that of the 25% of women working in tech, minority women are less than 10% of it. 5% of women in tech were Asian. Black women only represented 3% while Hispanics made up less at just 1%.
Black women in tech statistics
27. Black women CEOs earn 38% less than white male CEOs
(Forbes)
Black women CEOs earn less than both white men and women CEOs on average. These CEOs earn 38% less than the average white male and 21% less than white women. If black women CEOs had equal pay as their counterparts, they could earn almost $870,000 more during their careers, on average.
28. 1 in 3 Americans is not aware of the pay gap between black women and white men
(Forbes)
The pay gap isn’t just an internal issue, but also a problem of awareness. Research reveals that one in three Americans aren’t aware of the pay gap between black women and white men. Also, just half of Americans are aware of the gap between black and white women in the workplace.
29. The proportion of Black (and Hispanic women) in STEM with a bachelor’s degree is over 2x lower than white men
(Society of Women Engineers)
A study looked at 25 to 34-year olds with STEM bachelor degrees and found that the number of women in engineering and computing careers is lower than men with the same racial or ethnic background. Meanwhile, the proportion of Black and Hispanic women is more than two times lower than white men.
Latinx women in tech statistics
30. 1.7% of women in tech identify as Latinx
(CNBC)
One report found that the tech workforce today consisted of 14.1% white women and 9.6% Asian women. This data showed 2.2% Black women and just 1.7% Latinx women in tech. That means just 6.6% of women in tech were those of color.
31. Less than 1% of leadership in Silicon Valley are held by Latinx women
(WOC in Computing)
Latinx women are barely relevant in Silicon Valley leadership at just 1% representation. A study that involved 177 Silicon Valley firms found that less than 2% of all workers are Black, Latinx, or Native American/Alaskan Native women.
32. Only 4% of high school students studying AP Computer Science are Latinx women
(WOC in Computing)
Seeing more Latinx women in tech starts with educating these young girls, however only 4% of all high school students taking AP (advanced placement) Computer Science classes were of this demographic. Only 2% were Black girls and less than 1% were Native American.
33. Latinx women earn 54 cents less per dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men
(Anita B)
In the United States, Latinas earn almost half as much as the average white, non-Hispanic man. That means Latinx women need to work almost 23 months longer than any other population to catch up to this pay gap. Sadly, this wage gap is even wider for Latinx women with a college education.
Sexism in tech
34. 50% of women in STEM have experienced discrimination at work
(PEW Research)
Half of the women in STEM positions report that they have experienced some form of discrimination in the workplace, while just 41% of women said the same in non-STEM jobs. The most common form of gender discrimination reported by STEM women in tech was earning less than a man doing the same job (29%) and having someone treat them as if they’re incompetent (29%).
35. 48% of women in STEM say sexual harassment is a problem at work
(PEW Research)
About one in five (22%) of all working women within the U.S. have experienced sexual harassment at work, compared to 7% of men. However, nearly half (48%) of women in STEM positions say that sexual harassment is a problem where they work. 42% of women with computer-related job claim it’s an issue while just 30% of men in the same field admit sexual harassment is a problem at work.
36. 36.7% of tech positions send interview requests to only male candidates
(Hired)
A study found that last year in 2021, over 36% of positions sent interview requests to solely male candidates. The year before in 2020, this number was higher at 42.4%. Although there is notable progress in this, it still means about 40% of all tech roles are not requesting interviews with women candidates, at all.
37. 20% of women say their gender makes it harder to succeed at work
(CIO)
One in five women admit that being female makes it more difficult to succeed at their career. Why? Sexual harassment could be on factor considering 36% said it is a problem in their workplace.
38. Only 43% of startup executive established hiring goals to increase diversity
(Deloitte)
In 2019, less than half of startup executives said they had established company-wide hiring goals to increase diversity. This figure may be even less for small companies as they don’t provide the same data to be studied, nor have the resources to make initiatives like this possible.
Female tech founder statistics
39. Just 1 in 4 startups have a female founder
(CIO)
Only 25% of startups report having a female founder while just over one-third, 37%, have at least one woman on their board of directors. However, over half, 53%, of startups have at least one woman in an executive position.
40. Women only received 2% of total investor funding in 2016
(Built In)
It’s difficult for any business owner to secure investor funding. However, of all the VC raised, women only received 2% of it. Women-led businesses made up just 4.9% of all VC deals the same year. The majority, 66%, of women report they are “finding it difficult to obtain the money they need to succeed.”
41. Companies leading in gender diversity are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability
(McKinsey)
Research from 2019 showed that companies within the top quartile for gender diversity are 25% more likely to have “above-average” profitability than those in the lowest, fourth quartile. This 25% likelihood is up from 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014. It turns out companies in the fourth quartile for gender diversity are 27% more likely to underperform on profitability overall compared to all other companies in the data set.
Future of women in tech
42. Almost 14% of young women started coding in school compared to 21% of young men
(The Next Web)
There are signs that the gender gap in technology is closing for future generations. 13.9% of women aged 18 to 24 started coding when they were in school, while 20.9% of men the same age did. This is a vast improvement when comparing men over the age of 35, who are twice as likely as women to have started coding before age 16.
43. In the past 3 years, 2% more women were promoted than men
(Anitab)
A reported 16.9% of women were promoted versus 14.7% of men in recent years. However, the majority of these promotions were into mid-level positions. When it came to senior level jobs, men were promoted at a higher rate than women.
Conclusion
And just like that, you now know 43 women in tech statistics! We covered all the basics so you can walk away with a better understanding about women representation, women to men ratios, female tech founders, and more.
Did these figures surprise you, or did you expect this much gender diversity in tech? Share your thoughts.
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