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Women's Economic Inequality

The Wage Gap

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Men/Women and the 10 Highest/Lowest Paid Occupations in Canada

10 Highest Paying Occupations in Canada
Occupation # of women in occupation # of men in occupation Women's average earnings Men's average earnings
Judges 405 1360 $117,707 $128,791
Specialist physicians 3220 9345 $86,086 $137,019
General practitioners and family physicians 5615 16,055 $81,512 $116,750
Dentists 1535 6995 $71,587 $109,187
Senior managers (goods production, utilities, transportation, construction) 2880 32,625 $58,463 $102,971
Senior managers (financial, communications carriers, other business) 3860 19,190 $71,270 $104,715
Lawyers and Quebec notaries 12,080 32,305 $60,930 $89,353
Senior managers (trade, broadcasting, other services) 4060 24,610 $48,651 $84,237
Primary production managers (except agriculture) 405 6670 $48,479 $78,421
Securities agents, investment dealers, traders 4880 9640 $47,323 $90,391

Men outnumber women in all 10 of the highest paying occupations in Canada. In the case of senior managers of goods production, utilities, transportation, construction, men outnumber women by more than 11:1. The women in this field earn only 56% of men doing the same work. In every occupation, men are paid substantially more than women.

10 Lowest Paying Occupations in Canada
Occupation # of women in occupation # of men in occupation Women's average earnings Men's average earnings
Sewing machine operators 27,750 2,490 $17,340 $20,664
Cashiers 47,110 9,025 $16,977 $20,557
Ironing, pressing and finishing occupations 2,375 990 $16,499 $19,297
Artisans and craftspersons 3,040 2,840 $13,565 $20,555
Bartenders 8,495 7,080 $14,940 $18,899
Harvesting labourers 605 525 $14,465 $18,683
Service station attendants 2,175 8,630 $14,947 $16,520
Food service counter attendants and food preparers 16,680 5,550 $14,681 $17,912
Food and beverage servers 38,250 11,940 $13,861 $18,192
Babysitters, nannies and parents' helpers 34,625 740 $12,662 $15,106

Women outnumber men in all of the lowest paying occupations in Canada except service station attendants. As babysitters, nannies and parents' helpers, women outnumber men by 47:1. In every occupation men are paid more than women.

Source: 1996, Statistics Canada. Nation Tables.

  • What are the Causes?
  • The Wage Gap
  • Women and Poverty
  • What can governments      do?
  • If You Need Help
  • Planning Ahead
  • Poverty in Canada Quiz
  • Global Poverty Quiz

    "As I watched women and men express the value of their work, it seemed as if the two genders saw themselves as inhabiting separate economies. Many men, especially upper-class men, see themselves as luxury items in an expansive economy. They see themselves as rare - indeed, unique and irreplaceable - so they try to command the highest price the market will bear. Whereas women, regardless of class, tend to see themselves as cheap raw materials in a depressed economy. Told they are worth little, and that their skills are interchangeable, they tend to assume that they will do best by pricing themselves so low as to undercut all competitors - and throwing in the best service, to boot."

    Naomi Wolf in 'Fire With Fire'

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