The new survey also reveals that women hold leadership positions in project management about as often as men.
As women thrive in leadership roles in project management, a new Project Management Institute survey shows that higher salaries, leadership positions and certifications are even more common among men than among women. Overall, the majority of field employees are men, and there are three times more male project managers than female project managers, according to the report.
PMI interviewed 8,313 people – 1,927 of whom identified as women – for its annual global survey.
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The gender pay gap in project management
In the United States, women in project management earn 12% less than men, with a median salary of $106,000 compared to $120,000. The pay gap varies from country to country, but in all cases women earned less than men, according to the PMI report.
PMI found that 88% of project professionals report having various project teams (including diversity of gender, race, sexual orientation and culture) increases the value of the project.
SEE: He pays to work on diversity At work.
Women in project management are less likely to have a certification or degree in the field than men, according to the survey. This is important because people who are certified earn an average of 16% more, according to the survey.
“Many women simply don’t have the resources or the community they need to access the opportunities they deserve,” said Asya Watkins, CEO and Founder of Women of Project Management, which focuses on creating more opportunities for women and women of color. especially in the profession. “Their needs and their voices are not heard, or sometimes they don’t even know where to start.”
SEE: For women of color in techthe pipeline may not be the problem.
Successful Women in Project Management Leadership
Women reach management positions at about the same rate as men, according to the PMI survey, ie 20% of women questioned against 23% of men questioned. Titles considered management roles for the purposes of the survey were PMO Director, Portfolio Manager, Product Manager, Functional Director and Development Director.
The overall number of female project managers is lower due to the gender gap across the profession. PMI sees this as a success for programs designed to give women opportunities to move into roles with higher salaries and more opportunities to participate in organizations at a strategic level.
Different approaches to project management
PMI’s investigation revealed a slight gender gap on how respondents use the technology and on what approach they were trained. According to the survey, women are more likely to use hybrid (5.4%) or Agile (3.6%) approaches, while men are more likely to use waterfall or more traditional approaches.
Therefore, both women and men are more likely to work for organizations that follow these project management approaches. Women are 10% more likely than men to work in organizations that use hybrid approaches, 7.3% more likely to work in organizations with Agile approaches, and less likely (-7.4%) to work in organizations with traditional or waterfall approaches.
Closing the gender gap
“This leadership opportunity is a selling point hiring managers need to make when looking to recruit more women into project management roles,” WPI said.
Recruiting more women might involve looking off the field, PMI said. Since fewer women are graduating in project management, organizations may need to hire people with overlapping skill sets and provide on-the-job training.
Organizations should also review their employment and wage practices to achieve equality, PMI said. Internal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives can be helpful in recruiting and retaining more women. Leadership training can also make a difference.
“These development opportunities, along with supportive metrics demonstrating female leadership in the organization, can be valuable recruiting tools,” PMI wrote.