10 Male-Dominated Industries (And How to Succeed as a Woman)

Women are continuing to rise the ranks in traditionally male-dominated industries—those in which men not only represent a larger percentage of the workforce, but also enjoy a higher number of leadership positions and have greater influence. But things still aren’t where they need to be.

McKinsey Global Institute’s 2023 Women in the Workplace report explains how, in various industries, females are underrepresented across the corporate pipeline—with women of color struggling most. 

According to the report, females make up approximately 1 in 4 C-suite leaders—while women of color comprise just 1 in 16. Overall, for every 100 men, only 87 women are promoted to management positions—and at 73, that number is even smaller for women of color.

The good news? Many companies are shifting focus to increased gender and ethnic diversity. Still according to the McKinsey report, 60 percent of organizations upped their investment in DEI initiatives in the previous year.

That being said, there are still many industries that remain frustratingly male-dominated. So, which fields need the biggest overhaul? And how can we make that happen? 

Let’s take a look at 10 male-dominated industries, the challenges women face in them—and, most importantly, what we can to level the playing field.

10 male-dominated careers

While many companies and industries have issues with gender equality, some are worse than others. So, what are a few of the biggest culprits?

Some of the most male-dominated fields in the United States include:

Aircraft piloting

In a story entitled “Why There Aren't More Female Pilots,” Conde Nast Traveller reported that women comprised just 4-5% of all pilots in North America. (That number was confirmed by a recent report from the Women in Aviation Advisory Board, which states that only 4.6 percent of airline pilots are women). 

The article points to the cost of training as one barrier in particular. “When you’re a pilot, your primary relationship is with a machine—a piece of equipment. And growing up, many women aren’t taught to work on cars or machines, or to take apart a toaster and think about how things work. But you can feel a real affinity for an airplane,” says Stephanie Wallach, the 10th female airline pilot in the United States.

Agriculture

According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, in 2022, women accounted for approximately 36 percent of all producers in the US. But while the number of women in agriculture is rising, few hold leadership positions in the industry.

In Crop Science, Adrian Percy notes, “Even today, there are relatively few women who are invited to give talks in conferences and there are far too few women occupying senior positions in most companies or on company boards. Less than 10 percent of women occupy leadership positions in agriculture and that has got to change.”

Architecture

The New York Times reported that women make up half of all architecture students, but only 20% of the licensed architects—while, as of 2021, data from Zippia cites the percentage of female architects slightly lower, at 23.3 percent. The Times cites the gender pay gap, sexual harassment and discrimination as some of the top reasons why.

Clergyship 

According to a 2018 report from theologian Eileen Campbell-Reed, about 1 in 5 clergy (20.7 percent) are female. But while some churches are seeing significant increases in clergywomen, which is a clear indicator of progress, others—like the Roman Catholic and Southern Baptist Churches—are headed in the other direction, going as far as to bar women from higher levels of leadership positions.

Construction

Historically, construction was thought to be a male-dominated industry because the work was physically demanding. While more women are entering the field, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 2020, only about 1 in 10 construction managers in the U.S. are women.

Financial services

While there are many women that work in financial services, climbing the corporate ladder is extremely difficult—particularly when compared to their male counterparts. According to a report from Deloitte, as of 2021, women only made up 21 percent of board members, 19 percent of C-suite roles, and just 5 percent of CEO positions in the financial services industry.

Firefighting

Women represent less than 5% of all firefighters—making firefighting one of the most gender imbalanced industries on this list. 

Technology

The U.S. lags far behind other countries in terms of the percentage of tech positions held by women. For example, according to data outlined in a recent article from CIO, while women make up 47 percent of the workforce, they only comprise 28 percent of computing and mathematical roles. And the ratio of women to men in technology actually declining over the past 35 years, meaning gender inequality in tech has only gotten worse. 

In the study “The changing career trajectories of new parents in STEM,” Erin A. Cech and Mary Blair-Loy suggest that caregiving duties may impact women’s employment in STEM fields in general. 

Manufacturing

Associated with heavy manual labor and long hours, manufacturing has a huge gender gap. According to the 2023 Advancing Women in Manufacturing report, the median weekly full-time earnings for all women production workers in 2022 was $700—compared to $943 for men, which represents a gender earnings ratio of 74.2 percent.

Software development

Just like the tech industry, females are also underrepresented in the software engineering field. According to data from Zippia, as of 2021, only 22 percent of software engineers are women—and while the reasons for that gender gap are complex, the harassment and sexism females frequently face in Silicon Valley certainly accounts for at least part of the problem. 

Challenges women face in male-dominated occupations

Well, being a woman in a male-dominated industry is tough. And while the issues women face may vary by field and company, there are some challenges that are more common than others.

A few of the most frequent hardships women face when working in companies dominated by men include:

• A lack of support and resources for women to advance in their careers, such as mentoring or child care stipends

• Sexual harassment

• Sexism and the belief that women aren’t capable of doing the same work as men

• Stereotypes about women’s roles (for example, that they belong in the home—and not in the workforce)

• Microaggressions

• Gender pay gaps and disparities

• Lack of access to promotions and advancement opportunities

• Lack of opportunity to share concerns—or concerns not being taken seriously

How to succeed as a woman in a male-dominated industry

There are systemic changes needed to better support women working in fields overwhelmingly led by men. But as a woman in a male-dominated industry, if you want to get ahead, it’s also important to prioritize your own success. So how do you do that?

• Aim for growth within your organization. Women are (unfortunately) often overlooked for growth opportunities in male-dominated industries—so proactivity can be helpful. Identify how and where you want to grow. If something comes up (like a project or committee) that you’re interested in, be explicit about your interest. Advocate for yourself and regularly share your successes with managers and leadership.

• Find a mentor (of any gender) and male allies. The more people you have on your side, the better. Connect with someone within your organization to act as a mentor—and network with male colleagues to build alliances that will support you in your professional growth.

• Increase visibility. Being seen is a key part of success. Make sure you’re making yourself heard by speaking up in meetings and volunteering for projects that will get your work in front of the right people.

• Ask for raises and promotions. Again, when you work in a male-dominated industry, if you want something, you often have to ask for it directly—and that includes raises and promotions. 

• Connect with others in your industry. Building a community of peers is always important—but it’s especially crucial if you work in a male-dominated industry. When you feel underappreciated, underutilized, or underrepresented in your organization, having a strong network can help you get your foot in the door at a company that’s more supportive of women.

What organizations can do

Ensuring women are successful in male-dominated industries isn’t just women’s responsibilities. While women can contribute to their own success, there are also larger systemic barriers they face in their efforts to thrive—and the responsibility for removing those barries falls on the shoulders of the organization.

There are a number of steps companies can take to support women working in male-dominated industries and ensure they’re set up for success. And not only is this the right thing to do, but in addition to supporting female employees, it also is a strategic win for organizations. Diversifying the workforce and employing more women can increase engagement, boost DEI initiatives, and lead to increased innovation.

Those steps include:

• Establish a gender and diversity task force.

• Actively seek talented female candidates for leadership and other positions.

• Create mentoring and other opportunities for women within the company. 

• Build employee resource groups (ERGs).

• Ask employees what they need and want to feel included.

• Evaluate how you’re doing through employee surveys and other data.