Top 10 Industries Dominated By Women In 2023 (2024)

Women have made great strides in America’s labor force since the 1930s. Several federal laws — including the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — further improved women’s economic status and employment opportunities in the United States.

Of course, the road has been long as women compete for even greater equity within male-dominated fields, such as finance, engineering, construction and science. However, women have dominated a number of occupations and will continue to thrive in 2023.

1. Personal Care

Personal care workers provide health care services for older adults and people with disabilities. Most often, these caregivers work in private residences or health care facilities where they provide one-to-one assistance with daily activities, such as getting dressed, bathing, eating or walking.

They also chart their patient’s progress, while some manage medications and dietary needs. Personal care workers are highly intuitive to patient requirements and tend to them with the utmost concern.

2. Teaching

Teaching professions are one of the most fulfilling careers you can pursue, preparing today’s youth for greatness. Teachers may work with young children in preschool and kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school and college.

Depending on the grade level, you may see more women teaching than men. For example, 89% of elementary school teachers were women in the 2017–18 school year, while they made up 64% at the secondary level.

3. Beauty

The beauty industry covers many professions, such as hair stylists, makeup artists, estheticians and dermatologists. In fact, the dermatology workforce alone is on an upward trend of 1.2% annually. As more women enter the field, new advancements have taken hold, such as automation and practice management partnerships to improve marketing and office operations.

4. Diet And Nutrition

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, women account for 92% of registered dieticians and nutritionists in the U.S., often working at private practices, clinics and schools. If you’re interested in helping clients adopt healthier eating habits and improved lifestyles, a career in dietetics and nutrition may be suitable for you.

5. Customer Service

Women have a long history of holding customer service representative positions and still account for 65.8% of customer service roles today. Customer service representatives work in various industries — including food and retail — providing exemplary service and problem-solving to callers and patrons.

6. Administrative

Another popular woman-dominated position is the administrative assistant. Today, nearly 94% of administrative assistants are women working as secretaries or executive assistants in business, legal, social and medical fields. Most administrative assistant jobs require at least a high school diploma, making it an excellent entry-level role for many women.

7. Medical

About 89.2% of clinical medical assistants are women. Medical assistants usually work in a private practice or hospital, garnering patient information such as medical history and vitals. Medical assistants work under a doctor’s orders and also assist with treatments and care during appointments.

8. Health Information Technicians

Health information technicians are another woman-dominated role in the medical field, responsible for inputting and maintaining patient information within a computer system. Other duties usually include record retrievals for insurance purposes and assigning clinical codes for diagnoses, services and procedures. Health information technicians must uphold a high standard of confidentiality at all times.

9. Speech Pathologists

The American Speach-Language-Hearing Association says 96% of speech pathologists are women, most of whom perform in health clinics or school settings. Speech pathologists work with children and adults with speech or language impediments due to various health conditions, such as dementia and stroke. Most speech pathologists must have a master’s degree and proper licensing before entering the field.

10. Child Care Workers

At-home child care has long been considered “women’s work” among gender roles, however, now it has now evolved into a large industry run by women. Most childcare workers supervise babies and toddlers, introducing them to fundamental concepts and skills. This is usually done through storytelling, creative activities, games and educational play that encourages childhood development.

Women Continue to Lead Many Industries

There is a way to go before women fully bridge the gender gap in the labor force. However, they are leading in several lucrative, fulfilling industries. Undoubtedly, the talent and breadth of skills women bring to the workplace are unfounded.