The work gap in the most diverse generation
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Millennials are significantly more diverse than previous generations, but even in their generation, minorities and women still earn less than whites and men, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
A closer look: There are significant outliers — 31% of computer hardware engineers are Asian, with a median income of $115,000.
- Pharmacists, the highest paid job of the group, are 63% women.
One big gendered economy: Jobs in the U.S. — those with lots of young people and overall — are sharply segregated by gender. Careers that skew male, skew way male and the same for women-dominated jobs.
- Only 27 out of the 142 millennial-heavy jobs (19%) had at least a 60/40 balance of men and women. Careers with more equal shares men and women include cooks, bartenders, retail sales persons, photographers, reporters, private detectives and travel guides.
The big picture: Higher-paid tech and science jobs with lots of older millennials tend to be more diverse — often with higher than normal shares of Asian Americans. Blue collar and construction-related jobs skew heavily male, heavily white and heavily Hispanic and pay around median wage.
- Jobs working with children tend to be majority women and pay below the overall median income. Home health aides and security guards also have low wages and have significant over representation of African Americans.
- The other side: Women make up 97% of high-paid speech language pathologists. And licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPNs) are paid well above the median wage and are 30% African American, even though African Americans only make up 12% of the overall workforce.
Bonus fact: Being an elementary and middle school teacher is the most popular jobs for millennials, which are 80% women and 84% white.
