The US gender wage gap widened in 2024, according to the Census Bureau’s 2025 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement, released on Sept. 9.
The Census data showed that among full-time, year-round workers, the female-to-male earnings ratio slipped to 80.9%, down from 82.7% in 2024 — the second consecutive annual decline. Meanwhile, while men’s median earnings rose 3.7%, women’s did not change significantly.
For tech, a high-wage sector where compensation is often tied to equity and bonuses, a 2% swing is not trivial. It affects who stays, who advances, and how teams retain scarce skills.
Other reports show pay gap stagnating
Nationally, other trackers indicate that the pay gap has remained the same. For example, Pew Research Center reported in March that women earned 85% of men’s median hourly pay in 2024 across all workers, with little change over two decades.
LeanIn.Org and McKinsey’s latest Women in the Workplace report highlighted the “broken rung” across industries — fewer women receiving first promotions to manager — which reduces representation and pay over time, especially for women of color. The September 2025 fact sheet from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research showed larger gaps for many groups of women of color.
The IWPR also found that men are more likely than women to work in jobs with overtime and are more successful in negotiating pay increases — factors that contribute to their financial advantage.
What women in tech can do (without doing extra unpaid labor)
- Benchmark your role and your pay precisely: Bring external ranges and your company’s leveling criteria to reviews. Use reputable sources, such as Dice or Levels.fyi, to quantify the value of your role and consider market shifts.
- Leverage transparency: Where laws require it, request posted ranges and total compensation breakdowns; ask for written promotion criteria.
- Negotiate using data: Document your impact, propose mid-cycle adjustments tied to expanded responsibilities or scope. If applicable, ask how your equity refresh compares to peers at the same level.
- Build support: Communities like AnitaB.org and the National Center for Women & Information Technology offer mentorship and negotiation resources.
What tech employers should do now
- Run annual, job-level pay equity analyses: Conduct reviews by gender and race/ethnicity; correct deltas and publish methodology to employees.
- Tighten job architecture: Consistent levels, rubrics, and titles prevent jobs from facing scope creep without corresponding compensation updates.
- Post real salary ranges and audit offers: Compare offer-stage compensation by gender for the same level and location, and track exceptions.
- Fix the broken rung: Measure promotion rates and time-in-level by gender and race; Connect female employees with sponsorship and mentorship in professional organizations.
We interviewed Michelle Vaz, AWS managing director of training and certification, about how an “open and curious mindset” can help entry-level workers in the age of AI.