Women held 36.0% of S&P 500 board seats in 2024, showing that top-level representation still falls short of parity. In the U.S., women represent 48% of professional jobs but only 36% of management roles, and median hourly earnings were $0.82 per $1.00 earned by men in 2022. The gaps widen further across leadership roles, shaping the outcomes covered in the rest of these statistics.
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
01 · Category
Executive Representation1 stats
01
Women held 36.0% of S&P 500 board seats in 2024
Interpretation
Executive Representation Interpretation
In the Executive Representation category, women held 36.0% of S&P 500 board seats in 2024, showing that leadership roles at the highest level remain substantially male-dominated despite meaningful representation.
02 · Category
Progress And Outcomes4 stats
01
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
02
In the U.S., women hold 48% of professional occupations but 36% of management occupations, per BLS occupational employment by gender (CPS annual averages)
03
In the EU, 32% of women reported experiencing discrimination in employment in 2022, per Eurobarometer data
04
In OECD countries, women’s labor force participation rate was 62% in 2023 while men’s was 73%, per OECD data
Interpretation
Progress And Outcomes Interpretation
Under the Progress And Outcomes lens, the gap is clear and persistent: women make up 48% of professional roles but only 36% of management in the U.S., even as broader indicators show discrimination and lower labor force participation, with 32% of women reporting workplace discrimination in the EU in 2022 and women’s participation at 62% versus 73% for men in OECD countries in 2023.
03 · Category
Board And Governance1 stats
01
In OECD countries, women held 7% of CEO roles in 2022
Interpretation
Board And Governance Interpretation
In OECD countries, women held just 7% of CEO roles in 2022, underscoring that board and governance leadership remains heavily male dominated at the top even in key leadership positions.
04 · Category
Industry Specific Leadership2 stats
01
Women were 44% of lawyers in the U.S. in 2023, per the ABA 2023 Profile of the Legal Profession
02
Women were 30% of senior leaders in the global technology sector in 2023, per Gartner’s Women in IT leadership survey results
Interpretation
Industry Specific Leadership Interpretation
In industry specific leadership, women remain markedly underrepresented with 44% of U.S. lawyers in 2023 but only 30% of senior leaders in global technology, showing a wider gap across sectors.
05 · Category
Compensation Gaps3 stats
01
The median hourly earnings for women was $0.82for every $1.00 earned by men in 2022 (full-time, year-round workers), per U.S. Census Bureau
02
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)
03
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)
Interpretation
Compensation Gaps Interpretation
In the compensation gaps category, women earned only 82 to 83 cents for every $1 men earn in 2022 and, despite making up about 39% of the workforce, they receive just 28% of total compensation in U.S. companies, underscoring a persistent pay disparity at both wage and compensation levels.
More related reading
06 · Category
Board & C Suite2 stats
01
37% of women held director roles among S&P 500 companies in 2024, per Equilar’s analysis of board gender diversity.
02
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.
Interpretation
Board & C Suite Interpretation
In the Board and C Suite lane, women are still a clear minority with 37% holding director roles at S&P 500 companies in 2024 and only 26.1% serving as corporate officers in the U.S. in 2023, showing that leadership representation drops as you move from boards to top executive positions.
07 · Category
Workforce Pipeline3 stats
01
Women accounted for 46% of employment in professional, scientific, and technical activities globally in 2022, per ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook database.
02
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.
03
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.
Interpretation
Workforce Pipeline Interpretation
Across the workforce pipeline, women are well represented in professional and early-career roles at around 46% globally and 46.7% in the U.S. for ages 25–34, but their representation drops sharply to just 28% of computer science bachelor’s graduates in 2022, signaling a likely choke point in the path to leadership for technical fields.
08 · Category
Industry & Sector2 stats
01
Women held 30% of leadership roles in the energy sector in 2023, per IEA analysis of women in clean energy jobs.
02
Women represented 36% of leadership roles in the legal profession (non-lawyer leadership included) globally in 2024, per LexisNexis workplace diversity benchmark.
Interpretation
Industry & Sector Interpretation
In the Industry & Sector space, women hold a smaller but meaningful share of top roles, with 30% in the energy sector in 2023 rising to 36% in legal leadership worldwide in 2024.
09 · Category
Policy & Compliance2 stats
01
In 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.
02
The 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.
Interpretation
Policy & Compliance Interpretation
For the Policy and Compliance angle, France’s quota-based rise to 46.5% women on boards in 2023 signals momentum toward the EU’s 2022/2381 requirement for improved gender balance, with companies needing to meet compliance by 28 December 2024.
report visual · Key figures
Women’s representation in leadership and decision-making roles
Representation varies by role—from board seats to CEO roles—highlighting persistent gaps in top leadership positions.
36%
Women held 36.0% of S&P 500 board seats in 2024
37%
37% of women held director roles among S&P 500 companies in 2024, per Equilar’s analysis of board gender diversity.
7%
In OECD countries, women held 7% of CEO roles in 2022
30%
Women held 30% of leadership roles in the energy sector in 2023, per IEA analysis of women in clean energy jobs.
30%
Women were 30% of senior leaders in the global technology sector in 2023, per Gartner’s Women in IT leadership survey re
44%
Women were 44% of lawyers in the U.S. in 2023, per the ABA 2023 Profile of the Legal Profession
source-verifiedconference-board.org · equilar.com · oecd.org · iea.org · gartner.com · americanbar.org2024
Reference
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.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+2 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)