Illinois Ranks 7th for Highest Pay for Women in Construction

Key Takeaways:

• Illinois ranks as the 7th best-paying state for women in the construction industry.
• The U.S. construction industry is experiencing a labor shortage, leading to more opportunities for women.
• Women are increasingly represented in high-paying roles within the construction sector, such as attorneys, analysts, and engineers.
• The gender wage gap in construction is narrower than the national average, with a 3.6% gap compared to 18% across all industries.
• Nationally, the median wage for women in construction is $52,478, with variations by state and occupation.

The U.S. construction industry has experienced a surge in demand, fueled by a housing shortage and increased public sector construction spending through initiatives like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Between 2020 and 2022, private construction spending soared, with housing starts reaching their highest levels in over 15 years by April 2022. Although private construction activity later plateaued due to rising mortgage rates, public construction projects began to pick up the slack, boosting the sector.

Despite the heightened demand, the construction industry has faced significant labor shortages, with the Associated Builders and Contractors estimating a shortfall of over 500,000 workers. As of June 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 295,000 open construction jobs. In response, the industry has increasingly turned to a historically underrepresented workforce: women.

Female participation in the construction industry has steadily risen since the 1960s, with women now accounting for 14.3% of all construction workers and 10.2% of full-time workers. While their presence remains low in traditional trade roles such as plumbing and carpentry, women are well-represented in some of the industry's best-paying positions. For example, women make up more than 31% of construction attorneys, where the median annual wage is $180,000 for women compared to $200,000 for men. Other high-paying roles with notable female representation include analysts, scientists, architects, and civil engineers.

In Illinois, women in the construction industry earn a median wage of $58,732 when adjusted for cost of living, ranking the state as the 7th best-paying for women in construction. The state's strong performance highlights the opportunities available for women in the sector, particularly in high-paying positions, and reflects the narrowing gender wage gap in the industry, which stands at just 3.6%, compared to 18% across all industries.

Nationally, the median wage for women in construction is $52,478, with significant variation by state and occupation. As women continue to enter the construction workforce, their increasing representation in top-paying roles contributes to higher overall wages for female workers in the industry.

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