Infographic: A Snapshot of Women in Engineering Today

Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) continues to be a widely discussed topic—and rightfully so. A gender disparity remains in STEM fields, with women making up 34 percent of the workforce. And the engineering gap is even more pronounced: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up roughly 16 percent of engineers and architects in 2023.

Empowerment groups, like the Society of Women Engineers, advocate for encouraging women to pursue engineering degrees as a critical first step toward increasing their representation in the workforce. A further action item goes hand in hand: Research shows that “female students perform substantially better in their math and science courses when they are taught by women,” and employing female faculty members could lead to an increased number of female graduates. 

There has, in fact, been a steady increase in the number of undergraduate degrees earned by women over the years, as they continue to enter engineering fields in greater numbers. Their representation still lags behind that of men, however, and they often face challenges in career progression and leadership roles. On the salary front, the gender pay gap persists. That said, some engineering disciplines are closing the gaps faster than others, as portrayed in the infographic below.