Salary Survey Extra is a series of periodic dispatches that give added insight into the findings of our most recent Salary Survey. These posts contain previously unpublished Salary Survey data.

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Sunday (March 8) will be International Women's Day. Women have been underrepresented in IT workplaces and professions for decades, but quite a few individuals and organizations have been working to foster change in that regard. In honor of the pioneering professionals of 2020, here's a look exclusively at the women who responded to our most recent Salary Survey.

Here's what the salary picture looks like for women who responded to the Salary Survey:‍

All U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $80,380
Median Annual Salary: $85,210
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 5 percent
Very Satisfied: 16 percent
Satisfied: 45.3 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 27.1 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 6.6 percent‍

All Non-U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $36,380
Median Annual Salary: $20,000
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 1.3 percent
Very Satisfied: 6.7 percent
Satisfied: 38.7 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 36 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 17.3 percent

Women accounted for roughly 16 percent of all participants in the 2020 Salary Survey. The largest single body of women in the survey is made up of U.S. residents (54.8 percent of those surveyed), but we did hear from female certified IT professionals in 44 other countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Based on our survey data, it would seem that IT-certified women are somewhat younger than is the norm in the industry. There are only 6 percent of respondents younger than 25 — either 18 or younger (0.3 percent) or between the ages of 19 and 24 (5.7 percent ) — but then roughly one-third (32.9 percent) of respondents are between the ages 25 and 34, and 25.1 percent are between the ages of 35 and 44. That leaves just 22.7 percent of respondents between the ages of 45 and 54, 12.7 percent between the ages of 55 and 64, and 0.6 percent between the ages of 65 and 74.

Roughly 88 percent of women who responded to the survey have an educational background that includes time spent at a college or university. The highest level of education completed by most female certified IT professionals is either a bachelor's degree (46.5 percent of those surveyed), master's degree (30.6 percent), associate's degree (7.9 percent), professional degree (2.7 percent), or doctorate (1.8 percent). Most of the remaining survey respondents exited the realm of formal education after completing high school (5.1 percent), along with a handful who either completed some level of post-high school technical education (2.7 percent) or are currently in school (also 2.7 percent).

A solid 90 percent of women who responded to the survey are employed full-time, with 3.5 holding part-time jobs and 2.4 percent out of work. That leaves 1.9 percent who are on sabbatical and 2.2 percent who are students. Among those who have full-time jobs, most have either a standard 40-hour work week (45.6 percent of respondents) or put in between 41 and 50 hours per week (36.9 percent). The outliers are the 7.9 percent of those surveyed who put in more than 50 hours per week, the 7.1 percent who work between 31 and 39 hours per week, the 1.5 percent who work between 20 and 30 hours per week, and the 0.9 percent who are employed full-time but also on the clock for fewer than 20 hours per week.

Roughly 78 percent of female certified IT professionals are spending most of those hours in a traditional workplace, putting in either 10 or fewer hours per week from home (63.4 percent) or between 10 and 20 hours per week from home (14.8 percent). There are certainly some women from the survey, however, whose "office" is more virtual than real: those working from home either between 21 and 30 hours per week (5.2 percent of respondents), between 31 and 39 hours per week (4.9 percent), 40 hours per week (5.2 percent), or more than 40 hours per week (6.5 percent).

In terms of workplace standing, the largest single group of women who participated in the survey are employed at the rank-and-file employee level (31.6 percent of respondents). The rest, in descending order, are either senior specialists (29.3 percent of those surveyed), specialists (21 percent), managers (10.3 percent), senior managers (3.8 percent), directors (1.6 percent), or executives (2.4 percent).

A notable 34.5 percent of female certified IT professionals who responded to the survey are IT newcomers, having worked in a role that directly utilizes one or more of their certified skills for more between zero years (1 to 11 months) and 2 years. The rest have been plying their certified skills for either between 3 and 5 years (22.3 percent of respondents), between 6 and 8 years (9.7 percent), between 9 and 10 years (6 percent), or more than 10 years (27.5 percent).

Finally, here's the view of women on key questions from the survey about how certification impacts job performance:‍

At my current job I use skills learned or enhanced through certification:
Several times a day: 38 percent
Several times a week: 23.4 percent
Several times a month: 14.2 percent
Occasionally: 14.4 percent
Rarely: 10 percent‍

Since becoming certified, I feel there is greater demand for my skills.
Strongly agree: 21.2 percent
Agree: 41.3 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 28.3 percent
Disagree: 5.7 percent
Strongly Disagree: 3.5 percent‍

Becoming certified has increased my problem-solving skills.
Strongly agree: 19.5 percent
Agree: 45.9 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 22 percent
Disagree: 8.2 percent
Strongly Disagree: 4.4 percent‍

Becoming certified has increased my workplace productivity.
Strongly agree: 17.9 percent
Agree: 41.6 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 27.8 percent
Disagree: 7.3 percent
Strongly Disagree: 5.4 percent‍

PAST DEEP FOCUS FEATURES ON WOMEN

2019

2018

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