20 Incredible Women in Technology Statistics for 2024
Women Remain Vastly Underrepresented in Tech
Despite modest gains, women continue to be significantly underrepresented in technology careers according to the latest statistics. As of 2021, women held only 24% of computing roles in the United States (Girls Who Code). This number has actually decreased from 37% in 1995, indicating persistent barriers facing women seeking to enter or advance in the tech industry.
The leadership statistics are even more stark – only about 17% of tech firms have a female CEO (StrongDM). And when it comes to company founders, just 11% of tech founding teams are comprised of a woman and/or non-binary individual holding at least 50% of the company‘s ownership (StrongDM).
Largest Tech Companies Fare Slightly Better
Drilling down into the data from some of the largest global technology companies paints a slightly more optimistic picture for gender diversity, albeit still far from equal representation. Women make up 34.4% of the employee base at companies like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft (LinkedIn).
Women of Color Face Even Greater Inequities
There are also significant racial disparities within tech roles. A survey conducted by Accenture indicates only 3% of women working in tech identify as Black or African American, while just 2% are Hispanic (CIO).
Women of color also report having a much more challenging time thriving professionally in tech – only 8% said they find it "easy" compared to 23% of men of color and 28% of Caucasian women (CIO). These compounding barriers for women of color in tech must be addressed.
STEM Education Pipeline Issues
The lack of gender diversity in tech begins early on. Despite college enrollment rates favoring women in the United States, only 18% of undergraduate degrees in computer science are awarded to women each year (GrepBeat). This represents a major decline from decades prior when nearly 40% of computer science graduates were women.
On a positive note, 74% of teenage girls express some level of interest in STEM career fields (DataProt). Ensuring this interest and aptitude materializes into tech careers will require interventions at each stage of the education-to-employment pipeline.
Women Earn Less in Tech Roles
Adding insult to injury, the tech industry gender pay gap persists with women earning just 82 cents for every dollar paid to men as of 2022 (Pew Research Center). This figure has only slightly improved from 80 cents on the dollar that women earned back in 2002.
Why Women Leave Tech
Women are not only missing out on entering the tech workforce but also exiting it prematurely. Approximately 50% of women working in tech end up leaving the field by age 35, most often citing inhospitable company cultures and gender-based microaggressions as the primary reasons for their departure (Technopedia).
Tech companies clearly need to reassess cultural norms and establish more inclusive and equitable environments if they wish to retain valuable female team members in the long run.
Supporting the Advancement of Women in Tech
A number of organizations have formed over the past decades that specifically champion the advancement of women in technology globally, including:
Women Who Code – Nonprofit offering job boards, conferences, mentorship programs and more.
Girls Who Code – Focused on expanding computer science education and exposure for teenage girls to increase talent pipeline.
Women in Technology International – Advocacy group aimed at driving systemic changes for female tech professionals.
AnitaB.org – Runs a range of programs from hackathons to mentoring to promote inclusion.
In addition, many tech giants have established their own internal groups and initiatives, such as Women@Microsoft and Women@Google.
Tips for Women Pursuing Tech Careers
For any women and girls considering entering the technology sector, here are a few pieces of advice:
Seek out female mentors who can offer guidance in navigating potential gender-related obstacles.
Participate in affinity networks andTech conferences focused on women to build up contacts and knowledge.
Negotiate pay and promotions and don‘t be afraid to walk away from toxic workplace environments.
Explore professional development programs like coding bootcamps and nanodegrees.
The Future Looks Brighter for Women in Tech
Despite current disparities, there are signs of progress for the future. Girls express passion for STEM education early on. Leading tech companies are establishing more extensive diversity, equity and inclusion programs. And more women are founding startups themselves every year.
With continued momentum across public and private sector efforts, female participation and leadership in technology careers will only grow in the coming years. It will take a concerted effort by all stakeholders to ensure talented women have clear pathways into satisfying, fairly compensated tech jobs where they are set up for long-term success.
