Location, location, location. It’s not just important in the real estate market, but also for where you work. If you’re a woman looking to advance or launch a technology career, the Washington, D.C. metro may be a great place to call home.
A recent report of the Best Cities for Women in Tech by SmartAsset, a personal financial website and data firm, outlines several hot spots for women, as well as places you may want to avoid. Their report was based on data from various sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. The study factored the gender pay gap, income after housing costs, women’s representation within tech and employment growth. After studying 60 cities, the report concluded that women in tech are still paid less than their male counterparts. Women are also underrepresented in higher paying professions, particularly in STEM careers. While women continue with to struggle with representation within the field of tech, there is hope.
Washington, D.C. and Kansas City, Mo. took the top two spots for the fourth consecutive year, followed by Baltimore, Md. Women make up 38.5% of the tech workforce in D.C., which is the highest in the country. Data also shows that tech jobs in D.C. grew by 33% over a four year period. However, the gender pay gap fell 4 percent from the 2017 annual report. Still, D.C’s gender pay gap remains a decent 91 percent, meaning women make 91 percent of the pay that their male counter parts do for the same work. With a steady growing female tech workforce and dwindling pay gap, D.C. maintains its place as the best city for women in tech.
While Baltimore comes in at third place, it has seen the second largest growth of the tech industry. According to Census Bureau data, between 2013 and 2016, Baltimore tech jobs grew by 36 percent. Having a steadily growing tech scene creates job security and more opportunities for women within the field. Currently nearly 32 percent of Baltimore’s tech workforce is made up of women and has an 86 percent pay gap. Adding to Baltimore’s accomplishments, it has maintained a top five spot of the SmartAsset annual report for the last three consecutive years.
Who doesn’t make the cut?
One state who falls short for women in tech is California. Despite its many tech cities, such as Silicon Valley, cities in California seem to be failing women in tech. Fremont is the only Californian city to make the report’s top 15. Overall, the SmartAsset’s report shows women working in tech in California tend to make less and are more underrepresented when compared to their male coworkers.
Another interesting figure that was hi-lighted by the annual report was the consistency of the top cities. SmartAsset found that seven cities that made the top 10 list from 2017 also took the top spots this year. With D.C., Kansas City and Baltimore holding the top three spots for the last two years. These cities show consistency in growth, amount of women in the field and the gender pay gap; making these cities the brightest spots for women in tech. While overall women make up less of the tech world, cities like D.C. and Baltimore are showing progress and growth for women in the industry.
