Women now hold 36.0% of S&P 500 board seats, but the rest of the leadership pipeline tells a more complicated story. Pay and promotion gaps still run deep, from lawyers and tech leaders to energy and corporate officer roles, where representation often stalls even when workforce participation is strong. Here are the most telling Women In Leadership Positions statistics and what they suggest about where change is happening and where it is not.
Key Takeaways
- Women held 36.0% of S&P 500 board seats in 2024
- Women are 1.5 times more likely than men to leave a company due to lack of equal opportunity, per McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2024 report
- In the U.S., women hold 48% of professional occupations but 36% of management occupations, per BLS occupational employment by gender (CPS annual averages)
- In the EU, 32% of women reported experiencing discrimination in employment in 2022, per Eurobarometer data
- In OECD countries, women held 7% of CEO roles in 2022
- Women were 44% of lawyers in the U.S. in 2023, per the ABA 2023 Profile of the Legal Profession
- Women were 30% of senior leaders in the global technology sector in 2023, per Gartner’s Women in IT leadership survey results
- The median hourly earnings for women was $0.82 for every $1.00 earned by men in 2022 (full-time, year-round workers), per U.S. Census Bureau
- Women account for about 39% of the workforce but receive 28% of total compensation in U.S. companies, per the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) using IRS/SEC-based analyses (as published in 2023)
- Women’s median weekly earnings were 82% of men’s in 2022 in the U.S., per BLS (CPS Earnings data referenced in BLS gender earnings summary)
- 37% of women held director roles among S&P 500 companies in 2024, per Equilar’s analysis of board gender diversity.
- 26.1% of women were corporate officers in the U.S. in 2023, per Women on Boards’ analysis of data from corporate disclosure/agency sources.
- Women accounted for 46% of employment in professional, scientific, and technical activities globally in 2022, per ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook database.
- In the U.S., women represented 46.7% of employed workers ages 25–34 in 2023, per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Labor Force Statistics from Current Population Survey.
- Women comprised 28% of computer science bachelor’s graduates in the U.S. in 2022, per NCES Digest of Education Statistics (IPEDS) field-of-study gender breakdown.
Women remain underrepresented in leadership, earning gaps and board seats persist despite rising participation.
Related reading
Executive Representation
1Women held 36.0% of S&P 500 board seats in 2024[1]
Verified
Executive Representation Interpretation
In 2024, women occupied 36.0% of S&P 500 board seats, underscoring that executive representation at the top level remains substantial but still short of parity.
Progress And Outcomes
1Women are 1.5 times more likely than men to leave a company due to lack of equal opportunity, per McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2024 report[2]
Verified
2In the U.S., women hold 48% of professional occupations but 36% of management occupations, per BLS occupational employment by gender (CPS annual averages)[3]
Verified
3In the EU, 32% of women reported experiencing discrimination in employment in 2022, per Eurobarometer data[4]
Verified
4In OECD countries, women’s labor force participation rate was 62% in 2023 while men’s was 73%, per OECD data[5]
Verified
Progress And Outcomes Interpretation
Under the progress and outcomes lens, the data shows persistent inequality as women are 1.5 times more likely than men to leave for lack of equal opportunity and still make up only 36% of management roles in the US despite holding 48% of professional jobs, highlighting that advances in participation are not translating into equal leadership outcomes.
More related reading
Board And Governance
1In OECD countries, women held 7% of CEO roles in 2022[6]
Verified
Board And Governance Interpretation
In OECD countries, women accounted for just 7% of CEO roles in 2022, a stark sign that representation at the top level of board and governance remains limited.
Industry Specific Leadership
1Women were 44% of lawyers in the U.S. in 2023, per the ABA 2023 Profile of the Legal Profession[7]
Directional
2Women were 30% of senior leaders in the global technology sector in 2023, per Gartner’s Women in IT leadership survey results[8]
Verified
Industry Specific Leadership Interpretation
Within industry specific leadership, women remain substantially represented in U.S. legal leadership at 44% in 2023, but they drop to 30% among senior leaders in global technology, signaling a notable sector gap.
Compensation Gaps
1The median hourly earnings for women was $0.82 for every $1.00 earned by men in 2022 (full-time, year-round workers), per U.S. Census Bureau[9]
Directional
2Women account for about 39% of the workforce but receive 28% of total compensation in U.S. companies, per the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) using IRS/SEC-based analyses (as published in 2023)[10]
Verified
3Women’s median weekly earnings were 82% of men’s in 2022 in the U.S., per BLS (CPS Earnings data referenced in BLS gender earnings summary)[11]
Verified
Compensation Gaps Interpretation
In the U.S., women face a clear compensation gap as median earnings run at about 82 to 84 cents on the dollar and women receive only 28% of total corporate compensation despite making up 39% of the workforce.
More related reading
Board & C Suite
137% of women held director roles among S&P 500 companies in 2024, per Equilar’s analysis of board gender diversity.[12]
Verified
226.1% of women were corporate officers in the U.S. in 2023, per Women on Boards’ analysis of data from corporate disclosure/agency sources.[13]
Verified
Board & C Suite Interpretation
In the Board and C Suite arena, women’s representation remains uneven, with 37% holding director roles in S&P 500 companies in 2024 but only 26.1% serving as corporate officers in the US in 2023.
Workforce Pipeline
1Women accounted for 46% of employment in professional, scientific, and technical activities globally in 2022, per ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook database.[14]
Directional
2In the U.S., women represented 46.7% of employed workers ages 25–34 in 2023, per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Labor Force Statistics from Current Population Survey.[15]
Verified
3Women comprised 28% of computer science bachelor’s graduates in the U.S. in 2022, per NCES Digest of Education Statistics (IPEDS) field-of-study gender breakdown.[16]
Verified
Workforce Pipeline Interpretation
Across the workforce pipeline, women are near parity in overall employment and early-career work yet are underrepresented as the pipeline feeds into tech, with 46% of employment in professional, scientific, and technical roles globally in 2022, 46.7% of U.S. workers ages 25–34 in 2023, and only 28% of U.S. computer science bachelor’s graduates in 2022.
More related reading
Industry & Sector
1Women held 30% of leadership roles in the energy sector in 2023, per IEA analysis of women in clean energy jobs.[17]
Verified
2Women represented 36% of leadership roles in the legal profession (non-lawyer leadership included) globally in 2024, per LexisNexis workplace diversity benchmark.[18]
Verified
Industry & Sector Interpretation
Across the industry and sector landscape, women are taking 30% of leadership roles in energy by 2023 while reaching 36% in legal professions by 2024, showing steady but unequal progress across different sectors.
Policy & Compliance
1In France, women represented 46.5% of board members in large listed companies in 2023 under quotas, per French Ministry of Economy gender diversity in boards reporting.[19]
Verified
2The EU’s Directive (EU) 2022/2381 requires improving gender balance on company boards; affected companies must comply on or before 28 December 2024, per Official Journal of the European Union.[20]
Directional
Policy & Compliance Interpretation
For the Policy and Compliance lens, France’s 46.5% share of women on quota-backed boards in 2023 shows strong momentum, and the EU’s Directive (EU) 2022/2381 that requires compliance by 28 December 2024 makes this trend a regulatory requirement rather than a voluntary goal.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
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APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Women In Leadership Positions Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-leadership-positions-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Women In Leadership Positions Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/women-in-leadership-positions-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Women In Leadership Positions Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-leadership-positions-statistics.
References
- 1conference-board.org/topics/women-and-leadership
- 2mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace
- 3bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
- 11bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-earnings/home.htm
- 15bls.gov/cps/cpsaat01.htm
- 4europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2339
- 5data.oecd.org/emp/labour-force-participation-rate.htm
- 6oecd.org/gender/data/women-on-boards.htm
- 7americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/diversity/women-statistics/2023-profile-of-the-legal-profession.pdf
- 8gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-05-24-gartner-women-in-it-leadership
- 9census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.html
- 10iwpr.org/iwpr-general/earnings-and-employment-of-women/
- 12equilar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Equilar-Board-Gender-Diversity-Report-2024.pdf
- 13womenonboards.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Women-on-Boards-2024-Data.pdf
- 14ilo.org/wesodata/print/pdf/wcms_872030.pdf
- 16nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_318.10.asp
- 17iea.org/reports/gender-equality-in-energy
- 18lexisnexis.com/community/lexis360/b/research/posts/workplace-diversity-benchmark-2024.pdf
- 19economie.gouv.fr/files/files/directions_services/etudes/etudes-economie/egalite-femmes-hommes/diversite-femmes-dirigeants-entreprises-2023.pdf
- 20eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2381/oj