These Are the Highest Paying Jobs For Women
Let's face it, there are a lot of things that still need to happen for women to receive full equality in the workforce. Issues like the gender pay gap, sexism, and assault in the workplace are still all too common. While not all jobs offer the same salary and benefits for women as they do for men, that hasn't stopped women around the world from shattering the glass ceiling and climbing the ranks into high-paying positions. If you're wondering what the best-paying careers for women are right now, look no further.
Pharmacist - $127,516
With a median annual salary of $127,516 a year according to Glassdoor, undergoing years of schooling to become a pharmacist can seriously pay off. To be a registered pharmacist, you have to undergo years of schooling, obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and become licensed by passing two exams.
Once all the hard work is done, you can set up shop nearly anywhere, whether a grocery store pharmacy, drug store or hospital. Today, about 55 percent of all pharmacists are women.
Computer and Information Systems Manager - $139,220
If that career title sounds confusing it basically just means the person who creates, coordinates, implements and analyzes computer system-related products. Being an IT manager usually requires a bachelor and graduate degree but the competition for women can be stiff.
Only 20% of the total jobs in technology are held by women and a lot of discrimination still persists. If you're up to the challenge though, an IT manager can take home a median salary of $139,220 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Physician - $263,000
The best part about becoming a physician is that you have hundreds of paths you can choose from. Once you decide to become a physician you can focus on being a family doctor, pediatrician, surgeon, OB/GYN, and more. While salaries vary, female physicians made a median salary of $263,000!
Keep in mind that the path to becoming a physician is long. It requires multiple degrees and years in residency. Most women and men don't become full physicians until they're well into their thirties.
Nurse Practitioner - $106,150
If being a physician doesn't interest you but you still like the medical field, consider a career as a nurse practitioner. They usually work for or in collaboration with a physician and oversee specialty health care. Many nurse practitioners have to achieve graduate-level degrees in order to practice specialized medicine. They also need to achieve a state license to practice.
While they might seem subordinate to physicians they make a comparable median income. Female nurse practitioners earn on average $106,150.
Psychologist - $70,580
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median salary for psychologists is $70,580. Women are also dominating the field but that shouldn't surprise anyone. Women have had to listen to men for centuries, so why not turn it into a profession?
Becoming a psychologist will take a lot of schooling and practice but once you're in, you can expect a lifetime of high profits. A registered psychologist will require an undergraduate and doctoral degree. Once you're certified then you can go into private or public practice, but both pay well.
Human Resources Manager - $76,464
This is another field that is slowly becoming dominated by women. Human resource managers are the people responsible for handling issues between employees and employers. To keep the peace, they're compensated quite well.
If you have good conflict resolution skills and know how to mediate between employees and employers, then getting into the human resource field is perfect. According to Glassdoor, it also comes with a median annual salary of $76,464 which is a nice little incentive as well.
Marketing Manager - $81,078
According to Glassdoor, marketing managers make a median annual salary of $81,078 a year, but can eventually earn a healthy six figures. They are responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the entire marketing and branding of a company. In an era where public image can make or break a company, it's an important job.
The nice thing about this opportunity is that now marketing managers are needed for any company, not just the major firms in big cities. You likely wouldn't need to relocate for a marketing manager job.
Nurse Midwife - $102,390
This is one of those rare jobs that pay extremely well and is entirely staffed by women. A nurse midwife is a nurse who has specialized in dealing with pregnancy, labor, and postpartum concerns. Often time, nurse midwives will work directly with expecting and new moms over the course of their entire pregnancy.
In the U.S., it can take nearly a decade to complete all the certifications to become a nurse midwife but once you do, you can take home a median annual salary of $102,390.
Veterinarian - $112,000
If you're an animal lover and you're willing to commit to the years of schooling that comes with being a veterinarian, it can pay off in a big way. The median salary for a female full-time veterinarian is $112,000 according to AVMA. On top of that, women make up 59% of the vets in the field!
Considering the fact that pet owners will pay an arm and a leg to make sure their fur baby is happy and healthy, then that salary makes a lot of sense.
Judge, Magistrate, Or Judicial Worker - $163,350
The median annual salary for a female in the upper ranks of the U.S. judicial system is $163,350. Of course, that only comes after years of schooling. Most judges and magistrates begin as lawyers and work their way up through the system.
Women are still struggling to gain equality and respect in the judicial world but it's definitely making progress. Around 44% of the job field is now made up of women and even America's high courts are beginning to look a little more diverse.
Chief Executive Officer - Salaries Vary
It makes sense that being the CEO of a company is going to pay the big bucks. The only problem is that it's one of the hardest positions for women to come by. Only five percent of Fortune 500 CEO roles are held by women.
Still, if you can climb your way to the top of the ladder then you'll end up with a salary somewhere near $320,000 according to PayScale. That's not too shabby when you consider the fact CEOs normally get a bonus on top of that.
Producer or Director - $72,184
This is another tricky field for women. The median annual salary for female directors and producers is $72,184 according to Data USA. If you've been following Hollywood for the last few years though, then you'd know representation for female producers and directors is way too low. Only 4% of the top 100 studio films in the last ten years were made by women.
Luckily the industry is trying to change, and in January 2019 the #4PercentChallenge asked actors to commit to working with a female director in the following 18 months.
Software Developer - $94,967
Software developers create and help roll out new computer programs. They do everything from designing applications to writing new code for existing software. The field itself is expected to grow by more than 20% by 2026 which is a huge jump in a single industry.
The problem of women in tech still exists but with an ever-growing field, it might be the perfect opportunity. Especially when you consider the fact that female software developers have an annual median income of $94,967 according to Indeed.
Physical Therapist - $81,595
With an annual median salary of $81,595, becoming a physical therapist can be a career that pays well for a very long time. Female physical therapists make up a whopping 69% of the workforce and when it comes to the pay gap, make 90% of male earnings in the field.
A physical therapist will help those who have been injured or who underwent a serious trauma or surgery recover to full mobility. The patients for a physical therapist can range in age so there's always available work.
Manager (of Anything) $50,000 - $120,000
Yes, this one's pretty vague, but it's also one that can pay off for any female in any field. Rising up to a management position in your respective job can earn you a salary somewhere between $50,000 and $120,000. While female managers only make up 38% of the workforce that number has been steadily increasing.
That being said, there are still challenges women face on the path to a management role like sexism in the workplace, the pressure to start a family, and imposter syndrome.
Engineer - $68,237
When it comes to engineering, there are a lot of different roads you can go down. Everything from being a software engineer to a robotics engineer can fall under the umbrella. The average median annual salary for a female engineer is $68,237 according to Glassdoor.
While only 13.7% of the engineering profession is women, the industry has a relatively small wage gap. For women working as engineers, they make 94% of what their male colleagues make. Compared to the pay gap in other technology fields, it's years ahead of its time.
Financial Examiner - $70,328
Up until the 1980s, men practically had a monopoly on the financial sector of the job market. Over time, women have started to break the glass ceiling in the financial world. One of the entry level positions that women have nearly gained full equality is a financial examiner.
Around 47% of the workforce for financial examiners in the United States are women, and they bring in annual median salaries of $70,328. We've come pretty far in just a few decades.
Lawyer - $89,284
Deciding to become a lawyer can be a very lucrative career. Lawyers who run private practices or land cushy jobs as state attorneys can make six figures with ease but lawyers who become public defendants won't be paid as much.
With both ends of the spectrum factored in, a career as a lawyer can yield a median salary of $89,284. It won't be easy though. While women represent 60% of attorneys, only 15% of law firm partners are female.
Nurse Anesthetist - $151,667
A nurse anesthetist is yet another health care specialization that can pay generously for women. While men have traditionally dominated the physician field, women make up nearly 60% of nurse anesthetists. Their job is to make sure a patient in surgery receives the right amount of anesthesia and is comfortable the entire time.
Becoming a nurse anesthetist takes years of schooling. You technically work under a doctor of anesthesia but it doesn't matter, because you can still end up making a median annual salary of $151,667.
Education Administrator - $151,667
Female teachers have great potential to move up in the system and become an education administrator. Female principals or superintendents make up 63% of the workforce and can bring home an annual median salary of $65,000.
The problem is that even though women make up 63% of the field, they only make 79% of what men earn in the same position. Maybe as more women become education administrators that statistic will change.