Tech’s gender pay bias 

New data has identified the date when every woman in computing will start working for free this year, based on the difference in average earnings between men and women.   

The findings, provided by web design company DesignRush, analyzed the current gender pay gap in the computing industry, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, and compared this to the 2024 working calendar to identify this year’s “equal pay day” in every state.  

This is a symbolic measure that identifies when, on average, women’s earnings catch up to those reported by men in the previous year. It works to highlight the ongoing gender pay gap, which is prevalent in male-dominated fields like computing.  

And with female developers across the U.S. currently earning an average of 84.2% of what their male counterparts make, they’ll work for free for 41 days this year.   

This means that women who work in the computing field will “stop getting paid” on Nov. 20, nationwide – although this date will be even earlier in the states with a larger pay disparity.  

The gender pay gap can vary from state to state due to factors like educational attainment, with those who are more qualified earning more for the same role; the diversity of the workforce in each state; and family policies that affect the value of paid parental leave.    

The state with the largest pay gap is Alaska, with female developers currently making just 60.6% of what male developers earn. This means they effectively work for free for 39.4% of the working calendar, or 103 days, and will stop getting paid on Sept. 19 this year.   

On the other end of the scale, South Dakota has the smallest pay gap, with women earning 99.1% of what men do. So they will almost make it to the end of the year before they stop getting paid, Dec. 29. Connecticut has the third smallest pay gap, after Idaho. In the Nutmeg State, women earn 94.3% of what men do in computing and thus will stop getting paid Dec. 16. New York has the ninth smallest pay gap, with women earning 90.3% of what men in computing do and thus will stop getting paid on Dec. 6.  

In 2023, over half of global organizations reported a skills shortage in technology (54%), while a recent Deloitte survey identified recruiting and retaining talent as the biggest tech workforce challenges – despite significant layoffs.  

Yet many skilled women working in the computing sector will be put off applying for positions at organizations with a significant gender pay disparity – particularly if they feel at risk of discrimination due to maternity leave issues, unfair treatment or a lack of accommodations.  

Speaking on the findings, Gianluca Ferruggia, general manager at DesignRush, said: “While skill gaps can stem from changing organization needs, increased globalization or inadequate training systems, (they) can also be exacerbated by difficulties attracting and retaining qualified workers — especially in a competitive field like computing.   

“Last year saw widespread layoffs across the tech sector, with reportedly more than three million workers being affected by this mass workforce reduction. Yet most of these organizations will need to retain their current talent and attract new skilled workers to remain operational – and if they have difficulty doing so, they need to evaluate why that may be.  

“Discrimination of any kind is unethical and should not be tolerated, including gender disparity. Not providing equal opportunities for female workers to advance their careers or get compensated equally reflects poorly on your ability to manage, maintain and satisfy your current workforce and needs rectifying as a priority this year.”