Nontraditional Careers, U.S.

A person can be considered employed in a nontraditional career if his or her gender only represents about 25 percent of the staff. The U.S. Department of Labor lists examples of nontraditional jobs held by women as architects, computer programmers, computer software and hardware engineers, detectives, chefs, barbers, clergy, engineers, computer and office machine repairers, construction and building inspectors (and other jobs in the construction field), railroad conductors, machinists, truck drivers, firefighters, and aircraft pilots.

Throughout history, men have taken on roles in skilled trades and labor-oriented jobs like construction, agriculture, manufacture, transport, and communication, while women have performed housework, care giving, teaching, and clerical duties. A woman's role was defined by society as being the primary care giver for her family, and men were considered the wage earners. Since at least the middle of the 20th century, women have pursued professional careers and employment requiring physical labor. Although the distribution of occupations has changed since the 1970s, and women have entered administrative and service occupations, men still hold a greater number of managerial, professional, and government positions worldwide. A woman choosing a nontraditional career may receive a higher entry-level wage, however, it may be difficult to find suitable mentors. Women in male-dominated occupations may face difficulties with ill feelings from their coworkers and the perception that they are not physically or mentally [Page 1021]suited to the position—obstacles that faced many early female firefighters.

Statistics from the 2008 report “Quick Stats on Women Workers” reveal that 59.5 percent of women are employed or are looking for jobs. Women make up 46.5 percent of the total U.S. labor force, 75 percent working in full-time jobs and 25 percent working part time. Thirty-nine percent work in management, 33 percent work in sales, and 21 percent work in service-related work, while 6 percent work in productions, construction and maintenance. Interestingly, 46 percent of employed Asians and 41 percent of caucasian women work in management, professional, or related occupations. Thirty-two percent of African American women and 33 percent of Hispanic women are employed in sales and administrative jobs. Overall, women account for 51 percent of all workers in high-paying management, professional, and related occupations.

Statistics show that men work 59 percent of the total U.S. working hours and make up 52 percent of the total workforce, working for an average of 38 years compared to women, who work for an average of 32 years.

According to the National Council for Research on Women, 45 percent of the U.S. workforce is composed of women, of which only 12 percent occupy science and engineering jobs in business and industry. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that less than 6 percent of the people who became pilots in the year 2000 were women. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) states that only 20 percent of information technology professionals are women. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, fewer than 33 percent of girls are involved in computer-related activities and that nearly 75 percent of future jobs are projected to require an extensive use of computers. Research shows that girls demonstrate “computer reticence,” partially because society has traditionally steered women away from working with machines.

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