Cities With the Most Women in Construction
Construction has long been a male-dominated field. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 13 percent of payroll employees in the construction industry are women—a number that has remained relatively stagnant since the 1990s. When also taking into account self-employed workers, the proportion is even lower, at just 10.3 percent. Despite the gender gap in employment, some job functions and locations offer better opportunities for women seeking a career in the construction industry.
Nationwide, there are over 1.1 million women working in construction, compared to 9.9 million men. In addition to differences in total employment, men and women tend to fill different occupations within the industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women who work in construction are most likely to work in office or administrative positions. By contrast, men have much higher representation in roles related to finance, transportation, construction, extraction, and maintenance.
TRENDING ON CONSTRUCTION COVERAGE
Breaking ground on a new construction project? Read our guides on builders risk insurance and construction takeoff software.
A major benefit for women in the construction industry is that they tend to command higher wages than female workers in other fields. The median full-time wage for women in construction is $46,808 per year, compared to $43,394 for female workers across all industries. Interestingly, the opposite is true for men in construction, who generally earn less than the typical male worker. In addition, men and women in the construction industry report relatively equal pay. While the national gender pay gap across all industries is 19 percent, the gender pay gap in construction is only 3.7 percent.
Although only 10.3 percent of workers in the construction industry are women, some parts of the country have much stronger female representation. To find which cities have the most women in construction, researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed employment data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. Researchers ranked cities based on the female employment share in the construction industry. In the final rankings, cities were categorized by population size: small (100,000–149,999), midsize (150,000–349,999), and large (350,000 or more).
Most of the cities on the list are concentrated in the South or the West, with some representation in the Midwest and little in the Northeast. Here are the cities with the most women in construction.
Large cities with the most women in the construction industry
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
20. Columbus, OH
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 11.7%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 2,395
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 18,139
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $40,913
TRENDING ON CONSTRUCTION COVERAGE
Upgrading your business vehicles? Be sure to find the best commercial auto insurance companies before making your next purchase. For businesses that operate trucks, we’ve also found the best semi truck insurance policies.
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
19. Denver, CO
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 11.8%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 3,636
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 27,277
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $49,437
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
18. Austin, TX
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 11.8%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 4,650
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 34,688
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $40,595
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
17. New Orleans, LA
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 11.9%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 1,143
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 8,433
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $37,300
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
16. Louisville, KY
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 12.1%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 1,932
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 13,971
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $46,560
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
15. Baltimore, MD
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 12.3%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 1,577
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 11,201
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $50,740
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
14. Portland, OR
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 13.0%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 1,897
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 12,703
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $63,892
TRENDING
Do you run a construction business? To streamline your workflow, consider using construction project management software. To protect your business and employees, make sure your are working with one of our top workers’ compensation insurance companies.
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
13. Kansas City, MO
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 13.1%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 1,760
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 11,630
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $41,742
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
12. Tampa, FL
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 13.3%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 2,015
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 13,135
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $49,938
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
11. San Diego, CA
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 13.3%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 4,270
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 27,919
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $53,990
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
10. Wichita, KS
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 13.4%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 1,855
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 12,011
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $40,067
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
9. Charlotte, NC
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 13.6%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 4,747
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 30,113
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $36,988
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
8. El Paso, TX
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.1%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 2,968
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 18,044
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $35,710
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
7. Atlanta, GA
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.6%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 885
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 5,158
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $44,346
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
6. Colorado Springs, CO
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 15.4%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 2,743
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 15,037
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $55,363
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
5. Virginia Beach, VA
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 15.5%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 2,187
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 11,891
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $52,325
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
4. Washington, DC
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 16.1%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 1,831
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 9,517
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $52,035
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
3. San Francisco, CA
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 17.0%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 2,985
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 14,590
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $70,711
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
2. Seattle, WA
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 17.6%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 2,697
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 12,664
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $70,966
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
1. Minneapolis, MN
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 19.1%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 1,298
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 5,495
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $54,521
Methodology & detailed findings
While the share of women in construction has remained relatively flat over the past 30 years, a number of industry trends could increase their representation in the future.
Research from Deloitte’s 2020 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook report shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the importance of efficient project management, which could create more demand for the administrative and management jobs in construction that women have historically been more likely to fill.
Additionally, a recent survey shows that only 3 percent of young adults ages 18 to 25 are interested in pursuing a construction-related career. The ensuing short supply of labor will likely drive up wages for construction-related careers, making the industry more appealing for women in general. This combination of factors suggests that there could be strong opportunities for women in construction looking ahead.
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. The female employment share in the construction industry was calculated by dividing the total number of female workers in construction by the total number of male and female workers in construction. The statistics include the civilian employed population (full-time and part-time) 16 years and over. The median earnings statistics shown include all men and women, but are for the full-time civilian employed population 16 years and over only.
Locations were ordered by the female employment share in the construction industry. In the event of a tie, the location with the larger number of total female workers in construction was ranked higher. Only cities with at least 100,000 residents and available data from the Census Bureau were included. Additionally, cities were grouped into the following population cohorts: small (100,000–149,999), midsize (150,000–349,999), and large (350,000 or more).
Each company featured in our guides has been independently selected and reviewed by our research team. If you select one of these companies and click on a link, we may earn a commission.
By clicking on these links, you may be taken to one of our insurance partners. The specific company listed here may or may not be included in our partner’s network at this time.
