WOMEN IN TECH STATISTICS 2024: MALE TO FEMALE RATIO

Women in tech statistics for 2024 show that the role of women in tech fields is imbalanced to say the least.

While it’s true that the STEM industry is skewed to the male side by about 75%, which makes the male to female ratio 3:1, there are still 25% of women working in the industry across sectors.

It’s an area where people want to see more women in tech, but it’s been going in the other direction since the 1980s.

In 1984, 37.1% of students in tech were women, with the other 62.9% being men.

By 2010, only 17.6% of women showed an interest in IT programs and computer science.

In 2023, only 24% of all computing roles are filled by women.

Key Statistics

• Only 26.5% of executive, senior-level, and management jobs in the tech industry are held by women.
• 56% of all women working in tech were women of color, but this group makes up only 3% of all people working in technology.
• 72% of women working in technology have worked in a setting where the “bro culture” is prevalent.
• Women working in tech lost their jobs during the pandemic twice as much as men.
• 78% of women working in technology say they have to work harder to prove their value in the workplace.
• 2 out of every 5 women believed that their gender was a stumbling block for being promoted.
• 38% of women say they are dissatisfied with their salaries, according to a Dice report.
• 34.8% of Apple’s workforce was female in 2021.
• In 2020, tech companies with fewer than 1,000 employees hired the most women, at 30.2%.
• 33.7% of Google’s employees are women, according to their 2021 Diversity Annual Report.

Top Women in Tech Statistics in 2024

Wouldn’t it be nice to see more gender equality in the tech world?

This is not just about how many women “work” in technology, but it’s also about the lack of women getting trained and entering the tech world.

1. As Of 2021, only 26.5% of Executive, Senior-Level, and Management Jobs in The Tech Industry Are Held by Women. 

While some progress has been made, this is only 2.7% more than 2018, when that figure was 24%.

Only about 25% of women are in lower-level roles in the technology sector.

Furthermore, a study in 2020 showed that out of 501,384 technologists across a sample of 51 companies, only 133,068 were women.

2. 56% of All Women Working in Tech Were Women of Color.

Of the 141,038 women who were working in the technology sector in 2021, 79,163 (56%) were considered women of color.

The percentage of African American women in technology is 3%.

Among Asian women, 6% have jobs in technology. Additionally, only 2% of women in technology are Hispanic.

3. 72% of Women Working in Technology Have Worked in A Setting Where the “Bro Culture” Is Prevalent. 

Moreover, Trust Radius says that “bro culture” is represented in multiple ways across the technology industry.

The issues can range from discomfort in the work setting all the way to sexual harassment, including assault.

It’s worth noting that men and women have different perceptions about this topic.

4. Statistics Revealed that Women Working in Tech Lost Their Jobs During the Pandemic Twice as Much as Men.

COVID-19 had a major impact on women working in the technology realm, even more so than men.

While many people lost their jobs or were furloughed during the pandemic, this hit the female demographic much harder than their male counterparts.

5. 78% of Women Working in Technology Say They Have to Work Harder to Prove Their Value in The Workplace.

Over three-quarters of women who work in the technology industry claim that they have to work harder to show their worth in their workplaces.

In contrast, 54% of men feel the same way.

So, while there is always pressure in the workplace for employees to prove themselves, women are more impacted by the issue.

6. In 2021, 2 out Of Every 5 Women Believed that Their Gender Was a Stumbling Block for Being Promoted.

Women who work in tech believe that their gender was an obstacle to consideration for promotions in their jobs.

These women are four times more apt to see gender bias than men in this aspect of their jobs.

Also, 66% of women didn’t feel like they had a clear path to move up the ladder in their current jobs.

7. 38% of Women Say They Are Dissatisfied with Their Salaries, According to A Dice Report.

There is a small gap between women and men who feel underpaid.

38 Percent of men report being dissatisfied with their pay compared to 38% of women who feel the same.

The average salary of men in tech accounts for around $108,711, while women make an average of $93,591 in the industry performing the same tasks. That’s the pay gap.

8. 34.8% of Apple’s Workforce Was Female in 2021.

34.8% of Apple’s employee base was female in 2021. In comparison, 65.2% were male.

It’s a little better than in 2018, when the percentages were 30% female and 70% male.

Additionally, Apple’s leadership experienced an 87% growth in its female employee base.

Things seem to be moving in a positive direction in gender diversity at Apple.

9. In 2020, Tech Companies with Fewer than 1,000 Employees Hired the Most Women, at 30.2%.

A report from anitab.org revealed that the smaller tech companies with fewer than 1,000 workers hired more women than the larger tech companies.

Small tech companies appear to hire more women than big tech companies, but that could also be somewhat skewed by the number of female-to-male applicants.

Things are shaping up, but it may be a while before we see significant increases for women in tech.

10. 33.7% of Google’s Employees Are Women, According to Their 2021 Diversity Annual Report. 

Google’s own Diversity Annual Report for 2021 reveals that in 2020, women accounted for 32.5% of their workforce compared to 67.5% of men.

In 2021, women now represent 33.7% of Google’s workforce and men represent 66.3%. Are you wondering what their 2022 report will show? So are we.

Women in Tech & Education Statistics

How many women are in school, have degrees, or teach technology?

Let’s see if women seeking technology-related education are more than those working in the field today.

11.  40% of Graduates in Computer Science Are Women.

Even in 2022, women are less apt to enroll in any of the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses available today.

Women account for 40% of graduates in computer science, and only 28% of engineering graduates are female.

This seems odd since female students test higher on average on the standardized tests in STEM than their male peers.

So, what’s stopping women from wanting tech careers?

12. Only 18% of Women Account for Computer Science Bachelor’s Degrees. 

Would you believe that during World War II and well into the 1960s, that women accounted for the biggest part of the computing workforce?

Somehow, in 1970, only 13.6% of computer science graduates with bachelor’s degrees were earned by women.

There was a nice rise to 37% in the 1980s, but since then, the decline is back at 18%.

13. 20% of Women Who Work in Stem Roles Have Resigned Because of Harassment and Discrimination at Their Jobs. 

According to Dr. Pragya Agarwal, TEDx Speaker, behavioral scientist, inclusivity consultant, and author of SWAY: Unraveling Unconscious Bias, at least 49% of women in the tech workplace have experienced forms of discrimination.

Also, 20% resigned because of harassment or discrimination in their workplace.

14. In 2021, the United States Ranks 8th in The Market Share of Women in The Tech Workplace. 

The country of Georgia ranks number one for having the most women working in technology at 55.6%, as of 2021.

Even Mongolia, Cambodia, Serbia, and the Dominican Republic beat the US in this ranking by country.

Is this because women aren’t interested, or do they feel left out of the field?

15. Girls Who Code Reported that Around 74% of Young Girls Are Interested in Stem Careers. 

So, this doesn’t seem like a lack of interest, does it?

While it’s unknown what happens, somewhere between when they show interest and deciding about what to study in college, something changes.

TechCrunch says this is more than a pipeline problem.

Women in Startups and Leadership Statistics

Now that you have some statistics about the gender gaps in employment and STEM education, we will use this part of the article to discuss where women are in leadership and tech startups.

16. Only 28% of It Professionals in Leadership Roles Are Women.

Since the data indicates that companies with female leadership fare much better, why are they not representing the IT and STEM industries more?

We have already been enlightened to the fact that women resign from lower level roles because of discrimination or harassment, but there has to be more to it than that.

More should be done to encourage women and to find out what’s discouraging them.

17. Fewer than 8.2% of Women Are CEOs at Fortune 500 Companies.

Shouldn’t these large Fortune 500 tech companies be leading the charge for more employment equality and diversity?

Let’s consider not only the fact that a measly 8.2% of Fortune 500 CEOs are females, but also that a smidgen of them are women of color at less than 1%.

Small startup and tech companies seem to be leading the way better than the “leaders” of the industry.

18. 24.8% of Tech Roles at Facebook Are Held by Women. 

While women at Facebook went from 15% in tech roles in 2014 to 24.8% in 2021, there is still a big imbalance in gender representation.

Men made up 85% of Facebook’s tech employees, which decreased in 2021 to 75.2%.

While it may seem like they are trying to make progress, we may be a decade away from seeing anything significant.

19. Out Of $150 Billion Invested in Companies, only $3.4 Billion Went to Fund Women-Based Companies. 

Since there is such a large divide between men and women in technology fields, shouldn’t more than $3.4 billion go to women to try to give this arena some balance?

Venture capitalists have invested $150 billion, so that $3.4 billion earmarked for women-founded businesses accounts for a mere 2.5% of total investments.

20. In 2017, only 17% of Technology Startups Had Female Founders.

By 2020, around 37% of tech startups had at least one female on its board of directors.

Also, about 53% had at least one woman in an executive position.

The numbers are slowly growing, but how long until we reach the level of the 1960s when women dominated the industry?

Tech Diversity Statistics

Women aren’t the only demographic being left behind in the STEM, IT, and computer science markets.

Women of color and people of diversity in race are also imbalanced.

21. 72% of Women Who Work in Technology Are Commonly Outnumbered by Men at Business Meetings.

The ratio of men that outnumber women in tech business meetings is at least 2:1.

However, women in tech often report that the ratio is closer to 5:1 or more. This just goes to prove how this problem needs a resolution.

22. 57% of Women 20 Years Old and Older Made up Women in The Workforce in 2021. 

Between February 2020 and February 2021, a decrease of 2,328,000 women 20 years and older were part of the workforce.

This includes those who lost jobs during the pandemic, or who left for whatever reason.

Also, in 2020, 59.2% of women accounted for the labor force.

The total results from this Gallup poll show that women’s roles in the workforce were impacted by 0.2% more than men.

23.  64% of Today’s Women-Owned Businesses Are Started by Women of Color.

When it comes to diversity in the tech industry, it’s not just about women, but it’s also about women of color, and of different races.

It should encourage us all that new statistics show that 64% of women-owned businesses started today are started by women of color.

Also, 40% of all American businesses are owned by women.

24. 66% of Female Entrepreneurs Are Feeling Challenged About Getting Funds for Successful Business Ventures.

That is a significant percentage of women finding difficulties for financial support to succeed in the business realm.

However, the good news is that 79% of women entrepreneurs today feel more empowered than they did just five years ago.

25. 2.5 Million Women Left the Workforce During the Pandemic.

Feeling more burn-out than men, experiencing harassment or discrimination, and the lack of work-life balance are things that contributed to why women left or lost their jobs during the pandemic.

In most instances, women have more to handle at home and at work, which would result in more burnout than their male peers.

26. In 2020, Caucasian Females Accounted for 14.1% of The Tech Workforce. 

A statistical breakdown of race includes 14.1% of white females, 9.6% of Asian females, 2.2% of African American females, and 1.7% of Hispanic females.

While progress has been made regarding women working in tech, more work needs to be done for racial diversity in the tech industry.

Bonus Statistics

27. Around 25% of Women Account for Gafam Tech Jobs

GAFAM stands for Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft and is used to describe the group of tech giants as a whole.

In 2020, statistics showed that 23% of the Google, Apple, and Facebook workforces were women (that’s 23% each, not total).

Microsoft’s female workforce was at 20% and Amazon’s was too low to record.

28. 23% of STEM Jobs in The UK Are Held by Women.

America isn’t the only country where there are disparities in the tech industry.

Only 23% of the workforce in tech in the UK is made up of women.

Also, only 5% of these women are working as entrepreneurs or in leadership positions.

Sadly, only 3% of young girls intend to pursue a tech career.

29. Only 26% of Women in India Work in The IT Industry.

The disparities in women working in tech seem to have a theme across the globe.

Though the number of women working in STEM careers is on the rise, there is still a gender gap in India between men and women.

In 2020, men were three times more apt to work in STEM fields.

That said, even with the growth of women in this industry in India, the gap seems to be widening.

30. 46% of Tech Industry Females in Europe Claim They Have Been Discriminated Against Because of Gender.

It seems that gender discrimination is another area where America isn’t the only offender.

In some cases, this kind of gender discrimination occurs across industries and is more serious in other countries.

In European countries, women who work in tech are experiencing discrimination, which puts a barrier up for any promotion opportunities, or any pay raises.

Famous Women in Tech by the Years

In this section of this article, we intend to enlighten you further about women in technology by looking somewhat beyond the statistics.

Here are some of the most famous women who played a major role in technology as we know it today.

Ada Lovelace

Ada Lovelace was known as the “first computer programmer”.

She was an English writer and mathematician, born in London, England, on December 10, 1815.

At first glance, Lovelace would not seem to fit into this category.

However, after she met Charles Babbage (The Father of the Computer), she wrote detailed notes regarding Bernoulii numbers, which are now considered the first computer algorithms.

The second Tuesday of October is Ada Lovelace Day, which is in her remembrance.

Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr was a beautiful and talented actress, but she was a major player in Wi-Fi technology.

Lamarr was born in Austria, but lived in America during the “Golden Age of Hollywood”, playing opposite actors like Bob Hope and Clark Gable.

Her contribution happened in 1940, during World War II when she created and patented frequency-hopping, spread-spectrum secret communication system technology alongside George Antheil, a man she met at a dinner party.

This tech is still the fundamental aspect for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS technology.

Grace Hopper 

Grace Hopper is considered a “computer programming language pioneer”, but she was first and foremost a US Navy admiral and computer scientist.

She developed the first English language data processing compiler, called COBOL (common business-oriented language).

Hopper is also known for the quote, “It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission”.

She also coined the term, “computer bug”.

Hopper was positive that computers would be used by non-professionals in the programming realm, so this easier method would be necessary. She was right.

Annie Easley 

Annie Easley, a woman of color (African American), was hired by NASA as their own “human computer” because of her amazing ability to perform complex calculations.

While computer technology eventually replaced the role of “human computers”, Easley took on the role of a computer scientist and adapted to the new tech.

Easley played a key role in developing code for analyzing alternative power techs, battery life, and energy conversions to help solve the former energy problems of that era.

Her most notable work was on the Centaur Project, which was part of how they launched satellites and spaceships into space.

She also made a huge impact by advocating for women and minorities in STEM careers.

Her contributions combated issues of age, gender, and race all wrapped up in one amazing woman.

She became an EEOC (equal employment opportunity) counselor with NASA.

Annie Easley was posthumously inducted into the Glenn Research Hall of Fame in 2015. That was well-deserved.

Radia Perlman

Radia Perlman, also known as the “mother of the internet”, was a network engineer and computer programmer.

In the 1980s, she invented STP (spanning-tree protocol).

This technology allows computers to share data in a reliable way. STP is a fundamental protocol in networking and Ethernet.

Perlman has been inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Today’s Modern Tech Trailblazers

Katie Moussouris

Katie Moussouris is the CEO of Luta Security, and was directly involved in the bug bounty program for the Microsoft Corporation and in the creation of the first bug bounty called “Hack the Pentagon” for the United States Department of Defense.

Dr. Fei-Fei Li 

Dr. Fei-Fei Li, a professor at Stanford’s Computer Science Department and Co-Director of the Stanford Human-Centered AI Institute, created ImageNet, which trains computers to recognize and understand concepts and objects in an image through a huge visual database.

She is also the co-founder of AI4ALL, a non-profit.

Susan Wojcicki 

Susan Wojcicki is the CEO of YouTube. However, her career started in her garage when Google was created after she rented it out to Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the creators of Google.

Wojcicki became Google’s first marketing manager and eventually the SVP of its Advertising & Commerce division.

She is the developer of trailblazing products and services including Google AdWords, AdSense, and Analytics.

So, women not only played a role in technology and other STEM-related careers. They were also trailblazers throughout history.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

We have covered a lot of ground related to women in technology statistics in 2024.

We now know the significance of women in technology throughout history and into modern times.

We learned about the obstacles that are holding women back from being successful in STEM roles, and how much work is left to improve the inequalities in these industries.

Since men outnumber women by close to 3 times in STEM, even with the new generation coming into these fields with coding skills, it could take a decade or more to achieve balance.

If you know some young women interested in technology, computer science, IT, engineering, or other STEM-related fields, encourage them.

Help them to find resources to prevent holding them back from getting the training and skills they need to succeed.

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