The number of women in the U.S. construction industry is on the rise. From apprentices to craft professionals, estimators and executives, women are represented in all facets of the construction workforce. And the opportunities to join and grow within the booming construction industry are numerous, especially with a workforce shortage impacting the sector across the United States.
Women totaled more than half of U.S. payroll jobs last December, just the second time women have outnumbered men in the workforce, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Yet while women made up just a fraction of the construction workforce at nearly 10% in 2018, that number is on the rise. In particular, we have seen an influx of women in craft professional roles, increasing from 3% of the workforce to 12% between 2013 and 2018, according to a 2019 Workforce Development Survey published by Associated Builders and Contractors.
That’s because construction offers numerous career opportunities with competitive salaries—especially compared to other industries. While women in the U.S. workforce earn an average of 81.1% of what their male counterparts make, the gender pay gap in the construction sector is signifyingly smaller, with women earning an average of 99.1% compared to men. In Texas, the annual salary for a construction manager is $98,420, and welder averages $46,140.
There is no better time to start a construction career, especially as Associated Builders and Contractors estimated 440,000 jobs needed to be filled in 2019 alone just to meet construction backlog. And at ABC Greater Houston, we are committed to recruiting and upskilling women so we can continue to develop a diverse and inclusive construction workforce and industry. ABC Greater Houston is committed to recruiting and upskilling women in the construction industry to continue to grow a diverse and inclusion construction workforce and industry.
To learn more about career opportunities during Women in Construction Week, March 1-7, visit www.ABCHouston.org.
