InformationWeek

Although Elliott is earning $10,000 more in her new position as a software test leader, her job responsibilities are very similar to those at her last job at a Seattle medical software company. Elliott believes the only way for a woman in IT to make market-rate salaries is to switch jobs frequently. "I fought for six years to earn what my male counterparts were earning, and I think I am finally getting there," says Elliott. "But it has been a struggle."

Before joining the biotech company, Elliott managed an all-male group of IT staffers--and made some unpleasant discoveries soon after taking the job. "I found out I was making about $5,000 less than my male predecessor," she says, and each of the men she supervised had higher salaries than she was earning. "I believe there is a large disparity in wages between men and women, and it needs to change."

According to InformationWeek's annual salary survey of nearly 17,000 IT professionals published in April, Elliott is correct about wage differences. The survey indicates that despite unprecedented demand for technology workers and a rise in the number of women entering the IT field, many male IT professionals still receive higher salaries, bonuses, and raises than their female counterparts.

Male IT managers earn base annual salaries that are about 10%--roughly $7,000--higher than salaries for women with the same job titles, the study showed (see chart, below). And there's no sign of improvement: The pay gap is $2,000 greater than the disparity revealed in the 1999 survey.

The salary discrepancy between men and women in IT staff positions is about $5,000 on average--also a 10% difference--based on average salaries of $50,000 for women.

When all compensation was measured, including cash bonuses, male IT staffers reported average pay of $59,000, compared with $51,000 for women. Male managers earn an average of $79,000, compared with $72,000 for women.

The latest survey also disclosed a significant disparity in raises. Male IT staffers reported an average annual raise of 8.3%, compared with 7.9% for women; male managers earned raises of 8.7%, compared with 7.8% for women.

Female IT professionals, recruiters, and even hiring managers agree: Ongoing sexism in the technology field is sometimes the cause of pay discrepancies. Melissa Whiteside, an IT contract worker for TEKsystems in Hanover, Md., says too many men "still look at a woman in this way: 'You're a female, what could you possibly know about anything mechanical?' " Whiteside believes such undercurrents of disrespect affect all aspects of the workplace--including pay.

In May, Whiteside accepted a weeklong IT assignment at Thiokol Propulsion, an aerospace and defense contractor in Elkton, Md. The job involved providing user support during the installation of 300 new workstations and the rollout of Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Office 2000, as well as network diagnostics and Web-site design.

Whiteside says Thiokol is one of few places where she was treated as a peer. "I have discovered, much to my surprise, that my opinion is respected by my male counterparts," she says.

But Whiteside believes lifestyle choices can also have an impact on salary. As a single mother of two, Whiteside engages in a continuous juggling act to balance her children's needs with her own career obligations and goals. Although she describes herself as highly dedicated to her career, she elects not to work late on a regular basis because of her family obligations. "I believe this does affect the pay gap," she says.

In fact, some women believe men are generally paid higher salaries in IT because it's easier for them to work long hours and remain flexible for their employers than it is for women, who are often the primary caretakers of families.

Leslie Paolucci, a SAP application specialist for an East Coast company, says employees who cannot stay late or come in on weekends when their job requires it may not be fulfilling the entire scope of their responsibilities. "The hours in the technology field are not 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.," says Paolucci. "Usually, the IT department supports the entire company. That kind of position requires flexibility, which may be difficult when you have a family. I've seen men who share child care 50/50 with their wives, and I think it affects them, too. I'm not sure it's a gender issue in that case."

If a job involves more than 40 hours of work per week, that should be discussed during the job interview, as it's fair for those willing to put in longer hours to negotiate a higher salary regardless of their gender, Paolucci says.

Leslie Finkel, director of retained staffing at T. Williams Consulting Inc., a recruiting company in Collegeville, Pa., and a 20-year veteran of IT recruiting, says the primary issues contributing to pay differences are more fundamental than discrimination.

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