To create the three lists that follow, we sorted the 250 best-paying jobs according to the percentages of women and men in the workforce. We knew we would create some controversy when we first included the best jobs lists with high percentages (more than 70 percent) of men and women. But these lists are not meant to restrict women or men from considering job options; one reason for including these lists is exactly the opposite. We hope the lists will help people see possibilities that they might not otherwise have considered.
The fact is that jobs with high percentages of women or high percentages of men offer good opportunities for both men and women if they want to do one of these jobs. So we suggest that women browse the lists of jobs that employ high percentages of men and that men browse the lists of jobs with high percentages of women. All of the jobs pay well, and women or men who are interested in them and who have or can obtain the necessary education and training should consider them.
An interesting and unfortunate tidbit to bring up at your next party is that workers in the jobs listed here with the highest percentage of women have average earnings of $54,226, compared to $85,464 for workers in the jobs with the highest percentage of men. But earnings don't tell the whole story. We computed the average growth of the jobs with the highest percentage of women and found a growth rate of 27.7 percent, compared to 16.4 percent for the jobs with the highest percentage of men. This discrepancy reinforces the idea that men have had more problems than women in adapting to an economy dominated by service and information-based jobs. Many women may simply be better prepared for these jobs, possessing more appropriate skills for the jobs that are now growing rapidly.
| Best-Paying Jobs with a High Percentage of Women | ||||
| Job | Percent Women | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Physical Therapists | 70.4% | $63,080 | 36.7% | 13,000 |
| 2. Dental Hygienists | 97.7% | $60,890 | 43.3% | 17,000 |
| 3. Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 71.7% | $59,670 | 21.5% | 2,000 |
| 4. Occupational Therapists | 90.0% | $56,860 | 33.6% | 7,000 |
| 5. Speech-Language Pathologists | 95.1% | $54,880 | 14.6% | 5,000 |
| 6. Registered Nurses | 92.4% | $54,670 | 29.4% | 229,000 |
| 7. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 71.7% | $54,370 | 34.8% | 5,000 |
| 8. Audiologists | 76.7% | $53,490 | 9.1% | fewer than 500 |
| 9. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | 73.9% | $47,710 | 20.5% | 14,000 |
| 10. Librarians | 82.6% | $47,400 | 4.9% | 8,000 |
| 11. Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 86.6% | $46,820 | 17.9% | 11,000 |
| 12. Flight Attendants | 78.7% | $46,680 | 16.3% | 7,000 |
| Best-Paying Jobs with the Fastest Growth with a High Percentage of Women | ||||
| Job | Percent Women | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Dental Hygienists | 97.7% | $60,890 | 43.3% | 17,000 |
| 2. Physical Therapists | 70.4% | $63,080 | 36.7% | 13,000 |
| 3. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 71.7% | $54,370 | 34.8% | 5,000 |
| 4. Occupational Therapists | 90.0% | $56,860 | 33.6% | 7,000 |
| 5. Registered Nurses | 92.4% | $54,670 | 29.4% | 229,000 |
| 6. Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 71.7% | $59,670 | 21.5% | 2,000 |
| 7. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | 73.9% | $47,710 | 20.5% | 14,000 |
| 8. Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 86.6% | $46,820 | 17.9% | 11,000 |
| 9. Flight Attendants | 78.7% | $46,680 | 16.3% | 7,000 |
| 10. Speech-Language Pathologists | 95.1% | $54,880 | 14.6% | 5,000 |
| 11. Audiologists | 76.7% | $53,490 | 9.1% | fewer than 500 |
| 12. Librarians | 82.6% | $47,400 | 4.9% | 8,000 |
| Best-Paying Jobs with the Fastest Growth with a High Percentage of Women | ||||
| Job | Percent Women | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Registered Nurses | 92.4% | $54,670 | 29.4% | 229,000 |
| 2. Dental Hygienists | 97.7% | $60,890 | 43.3% | 17,000 |
| 3. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | 73.9% | $47,710 | 20.5% | 14,000 |
| 4. Physical Therapists | 70.4% | $63,080 | 36.7% | 13,000 |
| 5. Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 86.6% | $46,820 | 17.9% | 11,000 |
| 6. Librarians | 82.6% | $47,400 | 4.9% | 8,000 |
| 7. Flight Attendants | 78.7% | $46,680 | 16.3% | 7,000 |
| 8. Occupational Therapists | 90.0% | $56,860 | 33.6% | 7,000 |
| 9. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 71.7% | $54,370 | 34.8% | 5,000 |
| 10. Speech-Language Pathologists | 95.1% | $54,880 | 14.6% | 5,000 |
| 11. Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 71.7% | $59,670 | 21.5% | 2,000 |
| 12. Audiologists | 76.7% | $53,490 | 9.1% | fewer than 500 |