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Programmer wage gap data: I challenge employers to prove you're fair (bls.gov)

4 points by bluehat ↗ HN
So, people were saying the direct link to the giant table of data was confusing, so here we are.

There is a pay gap between men and women in computer programming and software engineering. Women who are classified as "Software Developers" on average make 86 cents for every dollar their male peers make, and women classified as "Programmers" on average make 93 cents on every dollar their male peers make. Here is the data straight from the Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat39.htm and again in a nice little screenshot http://imgur.com/vMoOU (thanks heypel).

This is a challenge to companies which hire either programmers or software engineers to release statistics proving that they treat men and women equally. I understand pay-gap is not the end-all-be-all yardstick of equality so you can break down the statistics by seniority, experience, or any other metrics you like.

The idea is to compile a list of companies which do prioritize treating people equally so that employees can make informed decisions about where they would like to work.

4 comments

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PaulHoule
huh?
bluehat
So women who are classified as "Software Developers" on average make 86 cents for every dollar their male peers make, and women classified as "Programmers" on average make 93 cents on every dollar their male peers make.

This is a call to employers who employ programmers or software developers to publish statistics showing they do pay men and women equally. It is a great opportunity to show your company as a good, honest place to work.

bluehat
(The title doesn't let you write a lot)

I'd like to challenge Silicon Valley companies in particular to release data proving they are not contributing to this problem. You can break down data by experience or seniority level if that explains discrepencies, but I would like to make this a call to action for companies to prove their stance on equality for women. The resulting list will be compiled so that people concerned about these issues will make informed decisions when selecting what companies to work at.