Posted by Although females are still underrepresented in the highest-paying jobs for women, the proverbial glass ceiling is far more fragile than it was a few decades ago. Women were once relegated to low-paying jobs that supported their husband’s income but rarely surpassed it. Various factors such as child-rearing, chauvinism, gender bias, and a lack of access to advanced educational opportunities kept women out of the professional workforce.
These issues have fallen by the wayside over the decades as more women have found their way into once male-dominated fields and have slowly changed how women are viewed in the workforce. Higher paying jobs for women have also become a reality with employers becoming more cognizant of the contributions women are bringing to the employment table.
The following is a look at some of the high paying jobs for women and what makes them a great option for women who want what men have :
- Veterinarians:
The field of veterinary science was once a field dominated by men but has been attracting more women due to various factors. Women frequently cite the love of animals, the lack of gender discrimination in school admissions, a love of animals, and the ability to study animal science and medicine as their reasons for entering veterinary medicine.
In terms of pay, the role of the veterinarian is one of the highest-paying jobs for women. The role of the veterinarian is a highly skilled one and veterinarians can earn even more if they decide to become a specialist in a specific area of veterinary medicine.
2. Physicians and Surgeons:
The medical field has been steadily attracting more women to the profession as the anticipated shortage of doctors starts to become a reality. Medical schools are expanding their class sizes and opening up new schools to accommodate the demand for physicians. In the past, women have felt intimidated and discriminated against by male authority figures in the medical field. This has kept women from applying for medical school, but now attitudes towards women in medicine are changing as more physicians retire and the number of qualified medical professionals is shrinking.
3. Pharmacists:
Women are attracted to the pharmacy field due to the perception that it’s a family-friendly field and the idea that women are natural communicators and empathetic to those in need. It’s also a field that provides one of the highest-paying jobs for women who want to work in one of the STEM fields, raise a family, enjoy their career, and provide care to people in need.
Working hours in the retail sector tend to be favorable towards work-life balance, and many female pharmacists can return to work part-time once their children are old enough for day-care. The shift over time from independent pharmacists to pharmacists working for employers helped attract more women to the career.
4. Physician Assistants:
Physicians assistants work under the supervision of physicians and perform many of the same duties as a doctor or surgeons. This is one of the highest-paying jobs for women because the physician assistant is essentially a physician without the M.D. Women find their way into the role through nursing or enter college to become physician assistants. Research has found that women enter the field because it enables them to gain medical knowledge and the ability to practice medicine without the high cost and pressures of medical school.
5. Nurse Practitioners:
Nurse practitioners perform many of the duties as a physician but work under the supervision of a doctor. It’s a field dominated by women because men have historically been dissuaded from becoming nurses. It’s also an excellent educational and career track as many nurse practitioners started as registered nurses, then returned to school to earn advanced degrees throughout their careers.
The role is attractive to women who are also mothers and want to earn a good salary, help people with their medical needs, and have flexible hours to spend more time with family. It’s one of the highest-paying jobs for women with the potential for large salary increases as the demand for medical professionals grows.
6. Human Resources Managers:
Human resources have long been a female-dominated field due to the perception that it’s a role that is more suitable for women than men. The stereotype that women are better at making judgments with regards to personality traits and matching them with employment roles is another factor. Women have higher levels of emotional intelligence than men do, and this trait is useful when it comes to conflict resolution, managing people, and negotiation.
7. Management Analysts:
A management analyst is a type of consultant that looks at the current operating structure of an organization and finds ways to improve it. That includes reviewing and analyzing reports, procedures, manuals, system designs, and any other type of material that instructs employees how to perform their duties. Women are reaching employment parity in this field due to more women attending school for their bachelor’s degree in business and earning their master of business administration degree.
8. Psychologists:
The field of psychology attracts more women than men for various reasons. They include the fact that women are physically more empathetic than men, are more able to turn thoughts into words, and the ability to observe non-verbal gestures that act as a type of language. These reasons and others have a factual basis and are not based on stereotypes. The female brain possesses more of the physical characteristics that drive the observational and empathetic functions of the mind than men do. This makes women naturally predisposed to work as psychologists and provide support to those who need mental health treatment.
Women are drawn to the field of psychology because it’s one of the highest-paying jobs for women, but it’s also an opportunity to work as a healer of the mind. Psychology is also a field that has multiple concentrations and gives women the option to focus on an area of psychology that suits them best in terms of aptitude and interest.
9. Occupational Therapists:
Occupational therapy is a type of therapy that was created after WWI to help soldiers regain the function of their limbs to perform daily tasks. Women originally made up the entire field and have yet to yield their dominance in the occupational therapy field. No one reason has been found for this, but it’s an excellent career for women who want to work in one of the highest-paying jobs for women and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with helping people become self-sufficient with their daily tasks.
10. Public Relations and Fundraising Managers:
Women started entering the field of public relations and fundraising during WWII when women stepped in to fill the roles left empty by men going to war. Since then, the field has been dominated by women at the lower levels, but the executive levels have been dominated by men.
However, women are pushing their way up the ladder and gaining access to executive titles with higher pay. When it comes to higher-paying jobs for women, the public relations and fundraising field provide an excellent average salary that increases with time and experience.