The proportion of professional women with a college degree in the United States more than tripled from 1970 to 2013, from 11% to 39%. Today, women make up nearly 50% of the U.S. workforce and 51% of corporate professionals. What is the root of this progress and what will lead to even further advancement for women in the workforce? Education.
Today’s higher education landscape makes achieving a college degree more attainable than ever before. Online options allow non-traditional students who might otherwise not be able to earn a degree return to school while also maintaining a job, caring for a family or balancing other responsibilities. Completing a degree online is not only flexible and convenient, it also puts students on the path to financial success.
Income levels rise in accordance with level of higher education, and those with a Bachelor’s degree or more have an average salary of $45,000 while those with a high school degree earn $28,000 and those with a two-year degree or some college earn $30,000. The median salary for women with a Bachelor’s degree is $52,000, while the median salary for women with a high school degree is $42,000. By earning a college degree, students, especially women, are setting themselves up to achieve higher earning potential throughout their careers.
Over the past few decades, the earning power of women in the workforce has improved dramatically, largely due to the growing number of women who complete Bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Women now earn more than 40% of the shared income for married parents, a 33% increase since 1970, and are the primary breadwinner in nearly one-third of dual-income couples. What are some of the highest paying jobs for women, you may ask? They include sales engineers, nurse anesthetists, math and science occupations, astronomers and physicists, pharmacists and petroleum engineers, to name a few.
At ASU Online, our engineering, RN-BSN, psychology and health sciences undergraduate programs correlate to these career paths, as well as our Doctor of Behavioral Health, biomedical diagnostics, clinical research management, business analytics, healthcare innovation, global management and various engineering graduate programs. We offer more than 40 undergraduate programs that students can complete online, in the spirit of making higher education attainable for any student who desires to earn their degree and elevate their career opportunities.
According to the United States Department of Labor, the number of women in the workforce is expected to increase by 5.4% by the year 2022, and we are doing our part to prepare female students to continue rising up in the professional landscape upon graduation.
Learn more about ASU Online's areas of study and degree programs.