Women in Technology Statistics: What’s New in 2023?

Would you say STEM is still a “boys-only” sector in 2022?

Is it true there is still a gender gap in technology?

Yes, for now. Though things are rapidly changing, guys!

We must acknowledge women’s contributions to STEM, which, to be honest, are pretty amazing!

Let’s examine the latest women in technology statistics and see for ourselves.

Now, just imagine:

“Cinderella, Jasmine, and Hermione Granger sat in front of their computers, smoking cigarettes in their sweatpants… writing computer code.” #techgirl

Yes! The Stereotype Monster has been dying a slow death for years now.

Nowadays, great women like Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and Melinda Gates have an immense platform and serve as great inspiration.

And hopefully, thanks to female mentors, more and more girls will dare to pursue STEM careers soon.

In the world of today, computer science is still mainly under the male domain. However, current trends suggest that this is about to change.

As always, let’s start with some statistics and see where they lead us.

Inspiring Women in Technology Statistics

• One in every four GAFAM workers is female.
• 31.4% of Apple’s leadership belongs to women.
• In 1985, 37% of all US bachelors in Computer Sciences were women.
• Only 37% of tech startups have one or more women on their boards of directors.
• 63% of men in tech consider their companies diverse enough when it comes to gender.
• The ratio of men to women in engineering is 5:1.
• 25.5% of Google’s leaders on a global scale are women.
• Fortune 500 companies with at least three women in leading positions saw a 66% increase in ROI.

Yes, those numbers are impressive. But why do they matter:

Women in Technology Statistics for 2023

Gender equality in technology was supposed to be a reality in 2022. Sadly, it’s not.

The number of females studying into or joining this field is still wanting. Isn’t that surprising, bearing in mind that the first coder was a woman?

It’s time to dive deeper:

1. Only one in four roles in the GAFAM group goes to women.

(Source: Statista)

You’d think in 2022, major tech companies would be closing the gender gap in technical and leadership positions, right? Wrong.

An average of only one in every four GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft) is a woman.

Curiously, Amazon boasts the highest representation of female employees at 45%. However, the company hasn’t reported what part of them work in tech or leadership positions.

2. 71% of women have worked in a tech company with a strong "bro culture."

(Source: TrustRadius)

At least according to the 2022 women in technology stats. Only 29% of female survey participants claim they haven’t worked in a “boys club” company. The majority of ladies, though, that have worked or are working in a male-dominated environment report they’ve felt excluded, unsafe, and uncomfortable.

3. 63% of men in tech view their companies in a positive light when it comes to gender equality.

(Source: TechRadius)

The majority of men in the field consider their workplaces diverse enough when it comes to gender. However, consulting the 2022 women in technology statistics, we’d see that only 47% of females agree with such sentiments. What’s more, 36% of them claim they haven't seen any efforts by their companies to close the gender gap.

4.  Remote working has been predominately positive for women in engineering and IT.

(Source: TrustRadius)

Over half of females in IT and Engineering report that telecommuting has been a positive experience for them. However, data reports the opposite regarding careers in customer service or sales & marketing.

5. Only 37% of tech startups have one or more women on their boards of directors.

(Source: sbv)

Progress is slow! Especially regarding the number of women on the board of directors and C-suite positions in tech startups. Men in both roles represent 63% and 59%, respectively. Probably that's why 90% of new startups fail. 

Just kidding.

Anyways… At least things are looking up in the healthcare sector. Over half of both titles in this category go to women.

6. Conversations centered around gender inequality must include men.

(Source: Data|Economy)

Numerous female directors urge women in business to invite men as well into conversations about the need to elevate females in technology.

Only by involving all genders in such discussions can we ensure they are comprehensive, thoughtful, and fruitful by involving all genders in such talks. Otherwise, long-term goals to solve the issues might prove to be futile.

7. 58% of women are concerned about the venture capital funding gap.

(Source: TrustRadius)

Over half of females feel there's very little VC funding in female-owned startups. Did you know that less than 2% of those companies get financing?

But why is there such a big gap? Almost one-fifth of females in the industry claim the reason is sexism.

So… why are women in tech statistics so crucial in 2022?

Women’s relationship with technology has been palpable since the beginning of computing and problem-solving. (Maybe even before that!)

The only thing is... STEM is not the first career choice among the ladies.

Throughout history, we have seen plenty of examples of great women in tech. They’ve left a legacy for future generations to follow. Let’s also remind ourselves that Gen Z women will start to flood the IT sector soon enough.

So, the first step in predicting the future of gender representation in tech is to look at the latest data:

Key Women in Technology Statistics

No time to waste. Let’s get right into it:

8. In 2022, the percentage of women in large tech companies sits at 25%.

(Source: Deloitte)

The latest women in tech statistics reveal the percentage of overall female representation in tech jobs sits firmly at 25%. Compared to 2019, that’s a 2.6% increase. It may seem negligible, but it's a step in the right direction!

9. 74% of girls desire a career in STEM fields.

(Source: TechCrunch)

Sounds great, even though the data about female computer science undergraduates shows that most choose differently. There are perfectly respectable other career paths, after all.

The good news about STEM industries is that:

10. Women earn 18% of computer science bachelors in the US.

(Source: ComputerScience.org)

Diving deeper into the latest women in STEM statistics allows us to learn:

They hold only about 18% of undergraduate computer science degrees. Somewhat concerning, especially since computer science research jobs are expected to grow by 19% come 2026.

While girls may show enthusiasm toward the field, not many choose to follow that dream. Some may decide it’s not for them after all, some may find something else that holds a dearer place in their hearts. The reasons are many. Though, one certainly is the lack of inspiring female role models that have paved the way for all the enthusiastic girls for them to follow.

Just look at the next stat to get a clear idea of what we’re talking about:

11. 26% of women hold computing jobs.

(Source: Builtin)

So once again, just a quarter of employees in computing-related jobs on a global scale are women. The good news is this percentage has increased by 1% since 2021.

12. Women hold less than 20% of all leadership positions in technology.

(Source: Finances Online)

To be exact, 19% hold tech senior vice president roles, while 15% are CEOs.

It is difficult for anyone to climb the ladder of success. Still, even fewer women succeed.

13. As of March 2022, the biggest female-led Fortune 500 companies are:

(Source: WeForum)

The highest-grossing female-led enterprise is CVSHealth. Karen Lynch’s company scored $268.7 billion in revenue. The top five list is completed by:

• Roz Brewer’s Walgreens Boots Alliance—$139.5 billion
• Mary Barra’s General Motors—$122.5 billion
• Gail Boudreaux’s Anthem—$121.9 billion
• Jane Fraser’s Citi—$88.8 billion

14. In 2021, 63.3% of tech jobs on Facebook belonged to men.

(Source: Statista)

That’s nearly 50% more than women's representation in the company.

But wait, there’s more:

In terms of hiring, the male percentage went up by 0.3% compared to 2020. Weirdly, diversity in tech statistics for 2022 claims that the percentage of women reduced by the same rate.

15. The difference between women in the workforce and those explicitly working in tech is almost 7.9%.

(Source: Deloitte)

The overall proportion of women in all jobs is 32.9%. Thanks to the 2022 women in tech statistics, we know that female representation in tech is about 25%. This means the gap is about 7.9%.

16. 31.4% of Apple’s leadership belongs to women.

(Source: BizJournal)

Every year, Apple inches closer to having a diverse workforce. In 2021, its percentage of female employees was 31.4%—6% higher than in 2020. We can’t wait to see the 2022 data!

17. Out of the $150 billion invested by venture capitalists, women-founded companies receive…

(Source: Fortune)

…just under $3.4 billion. That amounts to less than 2.5% of investment capital.

Diversity in Tech Statistics

We’re diving deeper! Let’s see what the 2022 male-to-female ratio in technology statistics have to tell us:

18. Over two-thirds of females in tech constantly feel outnumbered in business meetings.

(Source: Trust Radius)

You already know that men make up the majority of the tech workforce. But did you know just how much of it? Latest studies reveal that 72% of women are outnumbered by men by a 2:1 ratio.

What’s more, 26% claim they are outnumbered by at least a 5:1 ratio.

19. In February 2021, more than half of US women over 20 were part of the workforce.

(Source: Gallup)

57%, to be exact. On the other hand, 69.6% of US men over 20 work.

20. Female quit rate is almost twice as high as the male’s in the field.

(Source: Finances Online)

About 50% of women in the tech sector quit their positions before age 35. They are also abandoning their jobs at a 45% higher rate than men.

Women in STEM statistics reveal that some of the most common reasons are weak management support and work-life balance.

21. As of March 2022, only 15% of Fortune 500 companies' CEOs are female.

(Source: WeForum)

The good news is that number is up from 41 in 2021 and just 7 in 2002! The 2022 figure breaks a new record of female CEOs in Fortune 500 companies, reaching 74! The even better news is that this number has increased for the fourth year in a row now.

22. Fortune 500 companies with at least three women in leading positions saw a 66% increase in ROI.

(Source: Women Who Tech)

Well, that’s a wake-up call. So by hiring fewer women leaders, you are actually helping your competition. Think about it…

23. Less than 2% of American tech startups have one or more female founders.

(Source: Escalon)

Just 1.19% of US Enterprise Software Startups (ESS) are founded by women. In comparison, the non-enterprise number is 25.3%.

Experts believe that women in the tech field have a more challenging time than men in getting initial financial help. In 2021, 154 out of all 354 American ESS received funding, which is surprising considering that women are pretty capital-efficient.

24. Women are 3.5 times more likely to be 35+ and still in a junior tech position.

(Source: The Next Web)

According to researchers, men are far less likely to stay juniors for long.

Employment level distribution is a curious phenomenon nowadays.

Let’s see:

• 30% of women over 35 are still in junior positions. The same is true for just 5% of men.
• Less than 50% of women between 25–34 are Senior Developers.
• More than 85% of men between 25–34 are Senior Developers.

Did you know that for every 100 men promoted to a manager position, only 79 women received a similar promotion?

Also:

25. In 1985, 37% of all computer science bachelors were women.

(Source: Computer Science)

Before the release of home computers, substantially more women were up for a career in computer science. Unfortunately, in the years after the personal computer became a widespread phenomenon, the numbers decreased. In 2010–2011, only 17.6% of computer science bachelors were women.

According to women in computer science statistics:

26. Women hold 19.2% of all Fortune 500 CIO positions.

(Source: Njbiz)

The STEM sector is still male-dominated. And yet some women are proud to have made a difference.

27. Women in tech experience far more burnout than men.

(Source: Trust Radius)

A 2021 study found that around 57% of women in tech are burned out at work. 

When compared to the 36% of men who also reported feeling burnt out, it becomes even more evident that there is a lack of balance in the industry.

28. Smaller tech companies are more likely to employ women.

(Source: Finances Online)

Tech companies with less than 1,000 employees hire about 30% of women in tech.

29. Black, indigenous, Latin, and multiracial women make up just 6.3% of new tech hires.

(Source: Exploding Topics)

The percentage of new female tech hires rose to 30.9% in 2021. That was a 1.5% increase since 2020. Of the lady newbies, 13.1% were Asian, and 10% were white, according to diversity in tech statistics for 2022.

A Brief History of Women in Technology

We can’t talk numbers without mentioning a little historical background.

Let’s see some of them now. (Spoiler alert: this list of top women in technology may surprise you!)

Here we go:

Ada Lovelace

Born in 1815, the English mathematician worked on the math of the general-purpose computer. (By the way, she was the daughter of the poet Lord Byron!) The Countess of Lovelace is considered to have written algorithms for the first computer in the mid-19th century. Consequently, she is the author of the first computer program.

All right, who’s next?

Grace Hopper

Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was one of the first programmers in history. Born in 1906, Hopper contributed significantly to computer programming and software development. As a programming pioneer, she developed the first compiler in 1952, translating mathematical code into machine-readable code.

Yup!

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson is a US mathematician who retired from NASA in 1986. She did calculations in orbital mechanics leading to the success of the first US space flights...  

Annie Easley

She did computations for researchers at NASA, where she was one of the four African-American employees. Annie Easley became the person we have to thank for the initial code that led to the invention of the battery technology used for early hybrid vehicles.

And now:

Fast forward to the 21st century...

Susan Wojcicki

YouTube’s CEO since 2014. Susan Wojcicki was among the first 20 employees in Google—she was their marketing manager!

She was also the one who advocated for the famous acquisition of YouTube by Google some decade and a half ago. (YouTube was acquired by Google in 2006 for $1.65 billion.)

Talking about women in positions of power:

Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg is the present-day COO of Facebook. She helped establish Facebook as a platform for small businesses and helped make the company become a $560 billion tech giant.

Before we go on with some other women in tech stats, let’s have a look at the honorable mentions:

• Amy Hood—Executive Vice President and CFO at Microsoft Corporation since May 2013.
• Belinda Johnson—COO and a member of the Board of directors at Airbnb since 2018.
• Ginni Rometty—CEO of IBM since 2012.
• Melinda Gates—former general manager of Microsoft. She is a philanthropist and a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (By the way, check out the blog of Bill and Melinda Gates—it’s surprisingly informative!)

Now, let’s see what we can expect from women in the field in the future:

What’s in Store for the Future?

Women are gradually finding their way inside STEM companies. More and more opportunities are becoming available for female undergraduates.

Given the rising need for software engineers and web developers, it is hardly surprising that the world is making more space for women in such industries.

Let’s see some of the latest trends in women’s relationship with technology:

WiSTEM

WiSTEM is short for women in science, technology, engineering, and math. It is an initiative of universities and colleges, such as Harvard, Manchester Community College, Harvey Mudd College, Loyola University Chicago, and many more.

The program’s objectives are to spread awareness about women entrepreneurs' challenges and opportunities. It offers mentorship by some of the top male and female business leaders and connects STEM students to leading venture companies.

Gen Z women

Until now, we have been concerned about millennials at work.

2019 was the first year when the first Gen Z women entered the workforce.

More than 60% of Gen Z women started coding between the age of 16–21. 25% already did it before age 15—a direct result of the rising number of educational opportunities.

Today, coding is part of more and more schools’ curricula. Additionally, there are many summer programs, some working with children as young as 5!

Gen Z are digital natives. This next generation of coders that will change the world!

What holds women back?

Some of the factors that stop women from pursuing careers in STEM are actually social and financial, including:

• Lack of mentors.
• Lack of female role models in the same field.
• Gender bias and derogatory behavior in the workplace.
• Unequal growth opportunities with male coworkers.
• The lesser wage for the same position.

Exciting Women in Technology Facts

Women have always stood out when it comes to technology. 

Here's why:

1. ENIAC Six

During WWII, there was a shortage of male engineers. No wonder there. That led to the hiring of a group of female programmers. Their initial responsibility was to solve complicated equations needed for aiming and targeting ballistic weapons.

After a while, a team of six women was the one to operate the first computer—the ENIAC (Electrical and Numerical Integrator and Computer).

It was the quirky predecessor of the general-purpose computer. The ENIAC had no storage and was controlled by a web of electrical cables.

After a while, the six ladies started operating the ENIAC entirely by themselves. They addressed all the bugs and were the only ones in charge of diagnostics.

Several pictures were made of them operating the computer...

The fun thing is that some people thought the women in the pictures were models—posing to make the machine look more attractive.     

When mathematicians get mistaken for models… oh well.

(Imagine Hermione Granger’s face when they ask her if she was a model… )

Moving on to:

2. Kansas City

Yes! This is the US city with the smallest gender pay gap!

In fact, in Kansas City, Missouri, women earn 102% of what men do for the same tech job.

They may have overdone that equality thing.

3. Women in tech around the globe

We love sprinkling the statistics cake with some curious facts.

This data comes from 41 different countries.

As you will see, some of the facts are quite surprising:

• Bulgaria is the country with the most women in tech—30.28%.
• The overall gender pay gap is highest in South Korea—37.18%.
• The tech pay gap is highest in South Korea—41.17%.
• 50.25% of the workforce in Latvia is composed of women.
• Sweden boasts the highest percentage of women in parliament—43.5%.
• Hungary and Slovakia have 0% of women in ministerial positions.

The results of this research are astounding. And this is just the preview!

The same survey found that advances in gender equality can result in a $12 trillion boost to the global GDP by 2025.

Yup!

4. The world’s wealthiest women in IT

Alright, so we gave credit to those women who have achieved success in STEM-related fields. Now let’s take a look at those who managed to accumulate the most wealth.

Some are self-made CEOs and founders of their own companies, and others—shareholders in great corporations.

Here they are:

• Laurene Powell Jobs—once the spouse of the legendary Steve Jobs, she owns stakes in both Apple and Disney and is the founder of Emerson Collective Foundation.
• Dagmar Dolby—she is the largest shareholder of Dolby Laboratories… You guessed right—Dolby as in the sound system!
• Judy Faulkner—she is the founder of a US software company that develops ways to store medical records electronically. It is called Epic Systems.
• Zhou Qunfei—she is the founder and current CEO of a Chinese tech company called Lens Technology.

Recap

Women have proved their value to the world of STEM.

On a global scale, we are heading towards 40% of women in tech positions in the next 5–10 years.

And with good reason—as we saw, they provide a much-needed impulse to humanity’s technological progress.

Let’s hope that there will be more women in IT and science in the future.

Here are the key women in tech statistics:

• Women held only 20% of all tech jobs.
• Women hold 26% of all computing jobs in the world.
• 5% of startup founders are women.
• Fortune 500 companies with at least three women in leading positions saw a 66% increase in ROI.

There you go.

Bottom line:

Don’t hire women in your company because you have to or feel pressured by society.

Nope!

Hire women because it’s worth it!

Our collection of the latest women in technology statistics proved that’s true.