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Women and people of color are underrepresented in higher education’s best-paying jobs, a new study from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources found.
While pay equity for women has improved over the last eight years, the period examined in the study, women and people of color are underrepresented among those earning $100,000 or more, the study found. Women represented 62 percent of higher education’s professional workforce in 2023–24, and white women held 41.1 percent of the top-paying jobs, while white men held 39.5 percent. No other racial group comprised more than 4 percent, with Asian women coming the closest at 3.9 percent.
The CUPA-HR survey also found that pay gaps between women and white men worsen with age—with the exception of Asian women, pay inequity is more severe for older women. Hispanic men also tended to see greater pay gaps with age comparative to white men.
Though people of color tend to have better representation at institutions with deep pockets, well-resourced universities tend to consistently pay women less than their male counterparts.
The study concluded with a series of recommendations, including conducting regular pay audits, developing or improving recruitment strategies for people of color and creating or enhancing retention strategies for women and people of color and including them in succession planning.
