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FinanceMost Powerful Women

10 College Majors Where Women Earn More than Men

By
Annalyn Kurtz
Annalyn Kurtz
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By
Annalyn Kurtz
Annalyn Kurtz
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 19, 2017, 9:37 AM ET

It doesn’t take long after college for the pay gap to emerge between men and women.

Just five years after graduating, women earn 88 cents for every $1 a man earns, according to a new study by Glassdoor. That’s not as bad as the 82 cent divide measured in the entire U.S. economy, but the study’s authors note that’s because the pay gap continues to widen with age. The government’s official measure also counts all occupations—including those that don’t require college degrees.

Glassdoor culled data from 46,900 resumes to measure the pay gap. Among the 50 most common college majors, men earned an average of $56,957 five years after college, whereas women earned just $50,426.

Part of the wage gap can be explained by the different types of majors and occupations that men and women choose. Nine of the 10 highest paying majors—like computer science and electrical engineering—are male-dominated, whereas six of the 10 lowest paying majors—like social work and health care administration—are female dominated.

Even when comparing men and women who had the same college major, however, a gap still remains, and it usually favors men.

But there are a few occupations that buck the trend, with women actually earning more than men. And not all of them are low-paying—like chemical and mechanical engineering.

Here are 10 of the college majors where women earn more than men five years after college, according to Glassdoor:

1. Architecture
Women earn $1.14 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $57,000 median base pay, while men earn $50,000.

2. Music
Women earn $1.10 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $44,020, while men earn $40,000.

3. Social Work
Women earn $1.08 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $40,640, while men earn $37,500.

4. Advertising
Women earn $1.08 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $46,500, while men earn $43,020.

5. Environmental Science
Women earn $1.07 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $47,000, while men earn $44,000.

6. Chemical Engineering
Women earn $1.05 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $63,770, while men earn $60,480.

7. Kinesiology
Women earn $1.05 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $43,000, while men earn $41,000.

8. Mechanical Engineering
Women earn $1.03 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $68,000, while men earn $66,040.

9. Sports Management
Women earn $1.02 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $42,672, while men earn $42,000.

10. Anthropology
Women earn $1.02 for every $1.00 men earn.
Five years into their careers, women earn $41,250, while men earn $40,640.

About the Author
By Annalyn Kurtz
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