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Utah’s tech industry was revealed to face persistent gender pay disparities, with women earning just over three-quarters (76%) of what men do on average.
The analysis, conducted by DesignRush, uses the Census Bureau’s data and compares it to the 2024 work calendar to find the "work for free" date.
It highlights Utah as the eighth state with the largest tech pay gap, with the disparity nearly 10% higher than the national average.
If compared to their male counterparts over a year, this inequity results in women effectively working unpaid for 62 days.
Despite efforts to address this issue, women remain significantly underrepresented in Utah’s tech workforce, comprising only 22% of the workforce while constituting 46% of the state's overall workforce.
Wendy, an experienced tech worker, shared her frustrations in a Tribune survey, stating, "It is such a difficult place to be [...] As a senior product manager, I made about $20,000 less than men in my industry with less experience."
Other States Follow Suit
Meanwhile, women in tech from Pennsylvania are also subject to the gender pay gap, essentially working for free for 46 days in 2024.
This implies that by November 15, they will have ceased to be compensated for their work.
Working in fields like game development, data science, and technical engineering, they earn approximately 82.5% of what their male colleagues make.
On the broader spectrum, no state showed equal pay within tech, implying the gravity of the gender pay gap throughout the U.S.
DesignRush General Manager Gianluca Ferruggia shared his thoughts on the findings of the research:
"While skill gaps can stem from changing organization needs, increased globalization or inadequate training systems, it can also be exacerbated by difficulties retaining qualified workers — especially in a competitive field like tech."
Ferrugia further expounded on the effects of the widespread layoffs across the tech sector in 2023, with over three million workers affected.
"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."
Burnout and Layoffs More Prominent Among Women
Her experience echoes broader concerns within the industry, where women are paid less and are more likely to face layoffs and burnout.
A report from the Women Tech Council indicates that women in tech are disproportionately affected by layoffs and are more likely to abandon their leadership roles due to burnout.
This trend not only proves the gender pay gap but also threatens to reverse strides made towards gender equality in the workplace.
"These statistics are alarming, as the pattern of women self-selecting out of leadership roles could reverse decades of gender equality progress for women leaders in the workplace," the report concludes.
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