One of the highest-paying industries right now is the tech industry, yet women in tech are still underpaid compared to men. In fact, on average, for every dollar a man earns, women earn just 72 cents for the same work. So, if you are in the tech space and you are looking to increase your salary, here are five things you can do to make sure you earn what you deserve.
- Do research on Tech Salaries and Negotiate Your Pay: There are a lot of women who are underpaid because they do not know the worth of their role. That is why before you accept any job offer or ask for a raise at work, you must research the salary benchmarks for your position. You can use sites like Glassdoor or LinkedIn Salary to compare salaries and see what others in your role are earning. Another thing you can do is to connect and talk with other people in your industry to ask about salary ranges. Lastly, always negotiate your payment and never accept the first offer. If you are already working and looking for a raise, document your contributions and use them as proof to ask for a raise, this will help strengthen your case.
- Learn High-Demand Tech Skills: The more valuable your skills are, the more companies are willing to pay. Some of the highest-paying tech skills right now are AI and machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), Blockchain and Web3, Data Science and analytics, etc. You can learn or upskill them to increase your chances. There are many free courses and platforms online to help you upskill.
- Put Yourself Out There and Speak Up About Your Achievements: Most women do not get recognised because they stay quiet about their achievements or contributions. So, make sure to blow your horns at any chance you get. Speak up in meetings to share your ideas, keep track of your wins, and if you solved a big problem at work, let people know about it. Take credit for your work.
- Find a Sponsor: A sponsor is different from a mentor. A mentor gives you advice and guides you, but a sponsor is someone in leadership who actively helps you move up. Sponsors can recommend you for promotions, salary raises, and leadership roles. You can find a sponsor by building relationships with the senior people in your company, volunteering for high-visibility projects so your leaders can notice you, ask for feedback and show you are serious about growth. A good sponsor can open doors that would take years to open on your own.
- Switch Jobs If You are Underpaid: The fastest way to increase your salary in tech is to change jobs. Many companies tend to offer bigger raises to new hires than to employees who have been there for years. So, if you are being underpaid, apply for jobs at other companies and use new offers as leverage. According to Forbes, employees earn less by 50% when they stay at a company for over two years. So, do not be afraid to leave if a company won’t pay you what you are worth.
Women in tech work twice as hard but do not always get paid what they deserve. The key to getting paid more is to know your worth, learn valuable skills, speak up, find sponsors, and be willing to walk away from low-paying jobs. There is money in the tech industry, so make sure you get your share of it.
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