Sex-segregated Occupational Groups
Some fields of employment have higher median incomes than others. Gender-based disparities in representation in these fields may impact women’s income and economic security. This analysis looks at the median incomes of Forsyth County residents working in different occupational fields, as well as the percentage of residents working in each field by sex, to identify which fields and occupations in Forsyth County have the highest median incomes, how likely males and females are to be employed in those fields, and what the median incomes of males and females working in those fields are locally. All of the fields and occupational groups in this analysis are defined based on the highest-level categories of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Examples of specific occupations falling in each category can be found in the 2018 SOC structure document provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Glossary terms used in this section: Median
Key Points
Females were less likely to be employed than males in three of the six occupational categories that had the highest median incomes from 2014-2018: architecture and engineering, computer and mathematical, and management.
In two of the six occupational categories with the highest median incomes from 2014-2018, management and healthcare practitioners and technical, females had significantly lower median incomes than males.
These occupational categories are broad and contain specific occupations with varying salaries; for example, healthcare practitioners and technical includes both nurses and surgeons. As a result, some of the difference in median income could be caused by females being more likely to have lower-paying jobs within that category.
Females were less likely to be employed in high-earning fields and women working full time in high-earning fields earned less.
While this could be due to over-representation in lower-paying jobs within those fields, or other differences in pay, this cause was not analyzed. This could also contribute to females and female-headed households having lower rates of economic security compared to other household compositions.
Data Dashboards
Median Income by Field
1-year Estimates
5-year Estimates
Key Points:
- This data is here to provide context for the other analyses. It does not have its own key points.
Data Notes:
- Some data may be missing from these graphs.
- Broad field categories are based on the Standard Occupation Classification codes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- All dollar amounts are expressed in 2018 dollars to control for inflation.
- The most recent income data available is from 2018. Current income data may change as a result of COVID-19. For more resources on how COVID-19 may be impacting this measure, click here.
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 1- and 5-year Public Use Microdata Samples
- Margins of error for some estimates are high; the 5-year estimates are generally more reliable than the 1-year estimates.
- This data is here to provide context for the other analyses. It does not have its own key points.
- Some data may be missing from these graphs.
- Broad field categories are based on the Standard Occupation Classification codes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- All dollar amounts are expressed in 2018 dollars to control for inflation.
- The most recent income data available is from 2018. Current income data may change as a result of COVID-19. For more resources on how COVID-19 may be impacting this measure, click here.
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 1- and 5-year Public Use Microdata Samples
- Margins of error for some estimates are high; the 5-year estimates are generally more reliable than the 1-year estimates.
Individuals Working in Different Fields
5-year Estimates
Key Points:
- This data is here to provide context for the other analyses. It does not have its own key points.
Data Notes:
- Some data may be missing from these graphs.
- Broad field categories are based on the Standard Occupation Classification codes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- All dollar amounts are expressed in 2018 dollars to control for inflation.
- The most recent income data available is from 2018. Current income data may change as a result of COVID-19. For more resources on how COVID-19 may be impacting this measure, click here.
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 1- and 5-year Public Use Microdata Samples
- Margins of error for some estimates are high; the 5-year estimates are generally more reliable than the 1-year estimates.
- From 2014-2018, the following occupational categories had the largest differences between rates of female participation and male participation:
- Females were more likely than males to be employed in the following fields:
- educational instruction and library: females (10%), males (3%)
- healthcare practitioners and technical: females (11%), males (4%)
- office and administrative support: females (18%), males (6%)
- Males were more likely than females to be employed in the following fields:
- construction and extraction: females (0%), males (9%)
- installation and maintenance/repair: females (0%), males (5%)
- production: females (4%), males (9%)
- transportation and material moving: females (3%), males (11%)
- Of the 6 (out of 23) broad occupational categories with the highest median incomes in Forsyth County from 2014-2018, females were less likely than males to be employed in 3 of the 6: architecture and engineering, computer and mathematical, and management. Females were more likely than males to be employed in only one of these categories: healthcare practitioners and technical.
- Of the 6 (out of 23) broad occupational categories with the lowest median incomes in Forsyth County from 2014-2018, females were more likely than males to work in 2 of the 6: healthcare support and personal care and services. Females were less likely than males to be employed in only one of these categories: construction and extraction.
- Residents under the age of 18 and residents who have not worked in the past five years were excluded from this analysis.
- Both 1-year and 5-year data samples were too small to calculate occupation by race/ethnicity.
- Broad field categories are based on the Standard Occupation Classification codes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Examples of specific occupations falling in each category can be found in the 2018 SOC structure document provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- The most recent employment data available is from 2018. Current employment data may change as a result of COVID-19. For more resources on how COVID-19 may be impacting this measure, click here.
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 1- and 5-year Public Use Microdata Samples
Median Income of Different Fields
1-year Estimates
5-year Estimates
Key Points:
- Males generally have higher median incomes across most occupational categories in the 5-year data (compared to females in the same occupation); however, some of these differences are within the margin of error.
- From 2014-2018, males had significantly higher incomes in the following occupational categories:
- business and financial operations: females (~$47,000), males (~$70,000)
- healthcare practitioners and technical: females (~$51,000), males (~$69,000)
- legal: females (~$41,000), males (~$93,000)
- management: females (~$54,000), males (~$70,000)
- office and administrative support: females (~$32,000), males (~$37,000)
- production: females (~$24,000), males (~$33,000)
- sales and related: females (~$26,000), males (~$41,000)
- Transportation and material moving: females (~$21,000), males (~$27,000)
- There were no occupational categories in which females earned significantly more than males.
- Of the 6 (out of 23) broad occupational categories with the highest median incomes in Forsyth County from 2014-2018, females working in 2 of the 6 occupational categories (healthcare practitioners and technical and management) had significantly lower median incomes than males, despite working in an occupational category that is typically higher earning.
Data Notes:
- Residents under the age of 18, residents who have not worked in the past five years, and residents working fewer than 30 hours per week were excluded from this analysis.
- All dollar amounts are expressed in 2018 dollars to control for inflation.
- Broad field categories are based on the Standard Occupation Classification codes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 1-year and 5-year data samples were both too small to calculate occupation by race/ethnicity.
- Analysts caution against interpreting the income gap between males and females in these occupational categories given the broad nature of the categories (e.g. residents in the legal occupation category include those with jobs that range from paralegals and legal assistants to lawyers and judges).
- All dollars are expressed in 2018 dollars to control for inflation.
- The most recent income data available is from 2018. Current income data may change as a result of COVID-19. For more resources on how COVID-19 may be impacting this measure, click here.
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 1- and 5-year Public Use Microdata Samples
- Males generally have higher median incomes across most occupational categories in the 5-year data (compared to females in the same occupation); however, some of these differences are within the margin of error.
- From 2014-2018, males had significantly higher incomes in the following occupational categories:
- business and financial operations: females (~$47,000), males (~$70,000)
- healthcare practitioners and technical: females (~$51,000), males (~$69,000)
- legal: females (~$41,000), males (~$93,000)
- management: females (~$54,000), males (~$70,000)
- office and administrative support: females (~$32,000), males (~$37,000)
- production: females (~$24,000), males (~$33,000)
- sales and related: females (~$26,000), males (~$41,000)
- Transportation and material moving: females (~$21,000), males (~$27,000)
- There were no occupational categories in which females earned significantly more than males.
- Of the 6 (out of 23) broad occupational categories with the highest median incomes in Forsyth County from 2014-2018, females working in 2 of the 6 occupational categories (healthcare practitioners and technical and management) had significantly lower median incomes than males, despite working in an occupational category that is typically higher earning.
- Residents under the age of 18, residents who have not worked in the past five years, and residents working fewer than 30 hours per week were excluded from this analysis.
- All dollar amounts are expressed in 2018 dollars to control for inflation.
- Broad field categories are based on the Standard Occupation Classification codes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 1-year and 5-year data samples were both too small to calculate occupation by race/ethnicity.
- Analysts caution against interpreting the income gap between males and females in these occupational categories given the broad nature of the categories (e.g. residents in the legal occupation category include those with jobs that range from paralegals and legal assistants to lawyers and judges).
- All dollars are expressed in 2018 dollars to control for inflation.
- The most recent income data available is from 2018. Current income data may change as a result of COVID-19. For more resources on how COVID-19 may be impacting this measure, click here.
- Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 1- and 5-year Public Use Microdata Samples
