Could Wage Disparity Discourage Women from Engineering?

May 5, 2013
Nearly 60% of college students ages 18 to 24 are women, with the biggest differences in enrollment rates at private colleges and those in the southeast U.S. So with all these ladies pursuing higher education, why don't more choose to study engineering? It could be that they're paid less upon graduation.

Nearly 60% of college students ages 18 to 24 are women, with the biggest differences in enrollment rates at private colleges and those in the southeast U.S.

So with all these ladies pursuing higher education, why don't more choose to study engineering? Women are in the minority in nearly all engineering programs, and mechanical engineering has the worst numbers with only 7% female enrollment.

One cause could be the wage disparities women face once in technical fields.

Now, Rice University researchers have explored the root causes of this wage disparity in engineering. What they've found is that engineering training is based on a dualistic ideology — in which the field is artificially split between "hard" technical subfields such as product design and "soft" organizational functions such as logistics and staff management. Women are more often tasked with the latter. When they are tasked with more technical endeavors — the more valued and highly compensated work in engineering — they're underpaid.

"Dualisms are false representations of engineering ... as engineers' work ... involves technical and social activities simultaneously," says lead researcher Erin Cech.

About the Author

Elisabeth Eitel Blog

Elisabeth is Senior Editor of Machine Design magazine. She has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Fenn College at Cleveland State University. Over the last decade, Elisabeth has worked as a technical writer — most recently as Chief Editor of Motion System Design magazine.

Sponsored Recommendations

June 27, 2025
Ensure workplace safety and compliance with our comprehensive Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Safety Training course. Learn critical procedures to prevent serious injuries.
June 27, 2025
Join our expert webinar to discover essential safety control measures and best practices for engineering a truly safe and compliant industrial environment.
June 25, 2025
An innovative aircraft with electric drives combines the best of both worlds. The cross between drone and helicopter could mean significantly faster and more efficient air emergency...
June 25, 2025
Effective when other materials fail, ceramics are particularly suitable for applications requiring wear and chemical resistance, sliding characteristics or biocompatibility. Discover...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!