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SALT LAKE CITY — Career counselors in Utah say the gap in starting salaries between men and women fresh out of college may not seem very big. But a lot of people wonder why it's there at all.
University of Utah Career Services Director Stan Inman said, "There is not a significant [difference] in those beginning offers. I think what happens is that there is some gap that is created through the career path. There, maybe, is some bias in that."
A recent article from Forbes said, "Among men and women with the same major and comparable jobs working the same number of hours each week, women's pay still lags behind men's by 7 percent (or 93 cents to the dollar)."
Inman says even small gaps can become large, later.
"The starting salary is a big factor in where you end up, of course," he said. "The earnings over a lifetime are really impacted by that starting salary."
- Women earn 82% of their male peers in first year of employment
- 20% of women compared with 15% of men pay more than 15% of their salaries toward educational debt
- Among men and women with the same major and comparable jobs, women's pay lags by 7%
Inman says there are ways for women to increase their salary, and they're the same ways that are effective for men. First, they'll need to compare their salary with what is being offered to other people in the same field. The University of Utah has salary data it tracks on its website.
Plus, employees need to make a case-by-case presentation to their boss about how they add value to the company. They'll need to be adept at how their skill sets match what the company is striving for, overall.
"One of the best times for that, of course, is during performance reviews," Inman said.
He says another good time to do this would be any time there is a change in the employee's job duties. But, even if this round of salary negotiations doesn't go the worker's way, Inman says it's never a good idea for them to hold back on their work effort. That will only have a negative effect on salary talks down the road.
