A non-traditional or male-dominated industry or occupation contains 25% or less women in total employment.1 While women have made headway into certain industries and occupations, there is still a great gap between women and men in many industries and occupations.2
Sex segregation persists in the labor force despite shifts over recent years that have desegregated certain occupations from being dominated by one gender. Women continue to be highly overrepresented in clerical, service, and health-related occupations, while men tend to be over overrepresented in craft, operator, and laborer jobs.3
Male-dominated industries provide particular challenges for women’s advancement. Catalyst research has found that talent management systems are frequently vulnerable to pro-male biases that inevitably result in less diverse employee pools. Because senior leadership teams, which tend to be dominated by men, set the tone for talent management norms, masculine stereotypes can creep into HR tools. Employees who meet criteria (potentially based on masculine stereotypes) are selected for promotion and/or tapped as future leaders and/or offered development opportunities. Because male-dominated industries and occupations tend to be particularly vulnerable to masculine stereotypes due to lack of diversity, women may find excelling in these industries or occupations to be particularly difficult.4
Some examples of male dominated industries include:
| Industry | Women’s Share in Canada, 20119 | Women’s Share in U.S., 201110 |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 11.2% | 9.0% |
| Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping | 16.0% | N/A |
| Forestry and Logging with Support Activities | 14.8% | N/A |
| Mining (including oil and gas extraction) | 19.0% | 13.2% |
| Utilities | 24.7% | 23.3% |
Occupations Dominated by One Gender
The following occupations are the most male-dominated occupations in Canada with 5,000 people or more. Less than 2% of the employees in all of these occupations are women.
| Occupation | Total Number of People in Occupation | Share of Women Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Bricklayers | 18,885 | 1.1% |
| Heavy-duty Equipment Mechanics | 39,140 | 1.1% |
| Concrete Finishers | 11,440 | 1.2% |
| Other Small Engine and Equipment Mechanics | 6,815 | 1.2% |
| Gas Fitters | 5,650 | 1.4% |
| Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics | 22,240 | 1.4% |
| Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics (Except Textile) | 75,900 | 1.5% |
| Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System) | 72,390 | 1.6% |
| Industrial Electricians | 29,960 | 1.7% |
| Steamfitters, Pipefitters, and Sprinkle System Installers | 22,190 | 1.7% |
The following occupations with 50,000 people or more are the most male-dominated occupations in the U.S. Less than 2% of the employees in all of these occupations are women.
| Occupation | Total Number of People in Occupation | Share of Women Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons, Blockmasons, and Stonemasons | 162,000 | 0.1% |
| Cement Masons, Concrete Finishers, and Terrazzo Workers | 88,000 | 0.3% |
| Electrical Power Line Installers and Repairers | 124,000 | 0.4% |
| Carpet, Floor, and Tile Installers and Finishers | 209,000 | 0.5% |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | 392,000 | 0.6% |
| Structure Iron and Rebar Workers | 59,000 | 0.6% |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 339,000 | 0.7% |
| Miscellaneous Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 99,000 | 0.8% |
| Tool and Die Makers | 68,000 | 0.9% |
| Roofers | 214,000 | 1.0% |
Female-Dominated Occupations
The following occupations with 5,000 people or more are heavily dominated by women; women make up the vast majority in each occupation.
| Occupation | Total Number of People in Occupation | Women’s Share of Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Secretaries | 308,565 | 97.9% |
| Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists | 17,460 | 97.2% |
| Early Childhood Educators and Assistants | 170,340 | 96.4% |
| Court Recorders and Medical Transcriptionists | 7,760 | 96.1% |
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 8,750 | 94.8% |
| Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists | 7,375 | 94.1% |
| Babysitters, Nannies, and Parents’ Helpers | 69,785 | 94.0% |
| Receptionists and Switchboard Operators | 146,320 | 93.8% |
| Nurse Supervisors and Registered Nurses | 279,725 | 93.7% |
| Estheticians, Electrologists, and Related Occupations | 37,590 | 93.6% |
Women make up the majority of employees in the following occupations in the U.S
| Occupation | Total Number of People in Occupation | Women’s Share of Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 3,082,000 | 96.1% |
| Childcare Workers | 1,247,000 | 94.7% |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | 1,281,000 | 92.7% |
| Teacher Assistants | 966,000 | 92.4% |
| Registered Nurses | 2,843,000 | 91.1% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 1,297,000 | 90.9% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,407,000 | 89.0% |
| Nursing, Psychiatric, and Home Health Aides | 1,928,000 | 88.2% |
| Personal and Home Care Aides | 973,000 | 86.1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 994,000 | 84.2% |
Women and Men in Occupations in OECD Countries
- Women tend to work in a much narrower range of occupations than men; according to a report by the OECD, half of all women work in eleven or fewer of the major occupation groups.15
- However, half of the men work in more than twenty of these occupations.16
- Gender gaps in occupations are particularly marked in the United States, Italy, Ireland, Greece and the United Kingdom compared to other OECD countries.17
| Women Occupations | Women to Men Ratio* |
|---|---|
| Pre-primary Education Teaching Associate Professionals | 14.5 : 1 |
| Nursing and Midwifery Professionals | 10.1 : 1 |
| Secretaries and Keyboard-operating Clerks | 9.8 : 1 |
| Nursing and Midwifery Associate Professionals | 9.5 : 1 |
| Personal Care and Related Workers | 9.3 : 1 |
| Primary Education Teaching Associate Professionals | 6.2 : 1 |
| Shop, Stall and Market Salespersons and Demonstrators | 5.8 : 1 |
| Special Education Teaching Professionals | 5.6 : 1 |
| Domestic and Related Helpers, Cleaners and Launderers | 5.4 : 1 |
| Primary and Pre-primary Education Teaching | 5.3 : 1 |
*The ratio of women employees to male employees. For example, there are over 14 women working in "Pre-primary education teaching associate professionals," for every man in the occupation.
| Men Occupations | Men to Women Ratio |
|---|---|
| Miners, Shot Firers, Stone Cutters and Carvers | 80.2 : 1 |
| Building Frame and Related Trades Workers | 64.8 : 1 |
| Ships’ Deck Crews and Related Workers | 52.9 : 1 |
| Building Finishers and Related Trades Workers | 35.4 : 1 |
| Mining and Construction Labourers | 35.3 : 1 |
| Agricultural and Other Mobile Plant Operators | 30.5 : 1 |
| Mining and Mineral-Processing-Plant Operators | 24.5 : 1 |
| Metal Moulders, Welders, Sheet-Metal Workers, Structural-Metal Preparers, and Related Trades Workers | 23.1 : 1 |
| Machinery Mechanics and Fitters | 21.7 : 1 |
| Power-Production and Related Plant Operators | 15.9 : 1 |
Catalyst Award Winners
The Catalyst Award annually honors innovative organizational approaches with proven, measurable results that address the recruitment, development, and advancement of all women, including women of color.
Four of the companies that won the Catalyst Award were in male-dominated industries.
- CH2M Hill (2009) 20
- Nissan (2008) 21
- BP (2006)22
- Georgia Pacific (2005) 23
- Harley-Davidson, Inc. (2004)24
How to cite this product: Catalyst. Catalyst Quick Take: Women in Male-Dominated Industries and Occupations in U.S. and Canada. New York: Catalyst, 2013.
- 1. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, “Quick Facts on Nontraditional Occupations for Women,” 2008 Annual Averages (2009).
- 2. Catalyst Research and Analysis (2012); Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, “Table18: Employed Persons by Detailed Industry, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity,” Annual Averages 2012 (2013); Statistics Canada, “Table 282-0008: LabourForce Survey Estimates (LFS), by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Sex and AgeGroup (2012).
- 3. Barbara Wootten, Gender Differences in Occupational Employment (April 1997).
- 4. Anika K. Warren, Cascading Gender Biases, Compounding Effects: An Assessment of Talent Management Systems (Catalyst, 2009).
- 5. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, “Table 18: Employed Persons by Detailed Industry, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity,” Annual Averages 2012 (2013); Statistics Canada, “Table 282-0008: Labour Force SurveyEstimates (LFS), by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Sex and Age Group (2012).
- 6. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, “Table 18: Employed Persons by Detailed Industry, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity,” Annual Averages 2012 (2013); Statistics Canada, “Table 282-0008: Labour Force SurveyEstimates (LFS), by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Sex and Age Group (2012).
- 7. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, “Table 18: Employed Persons by Detailed Industry, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity,” Annual Averages 2012 (2013); Statistics Canada, “Table 282-0008: Labour Force SurveyEstimates (LFS), by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Sex and Age Group (2012).
- 8. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, “Table 18: Employed Persons by Detailed Industry, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity,” Annual Averages 2012 (2013); Statistics Canada, “Table 282-0008: Labour Force SurveyEstimates (LFS), by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Sex and Age Group (2012).
- 9. Statistics Canada, "Table 282-0008: Labour Force Survey Estimates (LFS), by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Sex and Age Group" (2012).
- 10. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 18: Employed Persons by Detailed Industry, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity," Annual Averages 2012 (2013).
- 11. Statistics Canada, "Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 97-559-XCB20060112006: Occupation - National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006 (720), Class of Worker (6) and Sex (3) for the Labour Force 15 Years and Over of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data," Census of Population (2008).
- 12. Department of Labor, "Nontraditional Occupations of Employed Women in 2010" (August 2010).
- 13. Statistics Canada, "Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 97-559-XCB20060112006: Occupation - National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006 (720), Class of Worker (6) and Sex (3) for the Labour Force 15 Years and Over of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data," Census of Population (2008).
- 14. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "20 Leading Occupations of Employed Women," Annual Averages 2010.
- 15. “Occupations of Men and Women,” Women and Men in OECD Countries (2005).
- 16. “Occupations of Men and Women,” Women and Men in OECD Countries (2005).
- 17. “Occupations of Men and Women,” Women and Men in OECD Countries (2005).
- 18. “Occupations of Men and Women,” Women and Men in OECD Countries (2005).
- 19. “Occupations of Men and Women,” Women and Men in OECD Countries (2005).
- 20. Catalyst, “CH2M HILL—Constructing Pathways for Women Through Inclusion” (2009)
- 21. Catalyst, “Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.—Women in the Driver's Seat: Gender Diversity as a Lever in Japan” (2008).
- 22. Catalyst, “BP p.l.c.—Global Path to Diversity and Inclusion” (2006).
- 23. Catalyst, “Georgia-Pacific Corporation—Bridging Cultures, Leveraging Differences” (2005).
- 24. Catalyst, “Harley Davidson, Inc. – Optimizing Talent: A Culture of Empowerment” (2004).
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