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Book
Why Men Earn More
The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap - And What Women Can Do About It
Warren Farrell AMACOM, 2005 # $3%1&
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Men’s movement guru Warren Farrell says don’t blame discrimination for the gap between men’s and
women’s salaries. As he teaches women (and men, we suppose) tactics for bagging bigger bucks, he says
that men earn more because women have a tendency - or perhaps a biological instinct - to prioritize
family over career. Thus, Farrell maintains, women work shorter hours, take more parental leave, and
are less productive, less well trained and less committed. If you are a male who has prioritized hearth
and home, perhaps you have made some of the same choices that Farrell says cost women higher
salaries. The book is full of footnotes, charts, graphs and sidebars, as Farrell cites U.S. Census and
Bureau of Labor Statistics data (as well as, occasionally, himself). However, his analysis of the numbers
usually hinges more on single studies or interviews, personal experiences, newspaper articles and
conversations than on historic, social or economic trends that offer deeper explanations. Farrell outlines
some real factors - danger, discomfort, late hours and heavy lifting - which increase the pay for certain
jobs. He tells women that they can earn more by entering nontraditional fields. getAbstract.com
recommends this book primarily for readers at the start of their careers or in the midst of transitions
where lifestyle and financial considerations compete. Though the information about salary- based job
searching is practical, if you see the world through egalitarian or feminist lenses, you may find yourself
getting a little testy.
Take-Aways
• Women (and men) should think strategically about their career choices and training.
• Men and women make different career choices: men focus on salaries; women focus on benefits, work
conditions and personal fulfillment.
• Earning more can often thwart these priorities. Getting a higher salary may require relocating, working
long hours, traveling or commuting.
• Uncomfortable, boring or hazardous jobs pay more.
• People who are trained in the sciences make more money than those who are trained in the
humanities.
• Choose higher paying subspecialties within your field: not all doctors are equal.
• Throughout history, men have sought love by becoming successful breadwinners.
• Women seek love by taking care of their families - by providing love.
• Women are victimized by their belief in gender discrimination because it discourages them from
actively striving for balanced, lucrative careers.
• If you could control for such factors as productivity, years of experience and number of hours worked,
you would find that women actually earn more than men.
Summary
The Problem with Doing Work You Love
"Following your bliss" is not the path to becoming rich. However, that does not mean that you must
spend your life doing a job you hate in order to earn a good wage. By learning more about the kinds of
jobs that are available, and by analyzing your field to discover which specialties pay the best and in
which settings, you can achieve a better balance between family and career, and earn a
“higher salary.
“Once a woman or man has made it to the top rungs of her or his profession’s ladder - a
rung high enough”
to look down through the glass
ceiling - most observe their family waving from a distance.”
You may have to make some sacrifices, such as relocating or working the night shift. But women, in
particular, who conduct this kind of job analysis will discover that the salary gap does not stem from
discrimination, but rather from women’s and men’s disparate approaches to work. Once they
understand this, women will stop feeling victimized and will bring fewer lawsuits, which intimidate
companies and make them reluctant to hire women.
"25 Ways" to Make More Money
Women can take 25 steps to improve their earning capacity. These steps may affect your job choices,
training, commute and work conditions. While they may call upon you to work harder, longer or with
more risk, they can help you balance home and work, and become more financially secure. Consider
these career choices that might lead to higher wages:
1. "Chooseafieldintechnologyorthe hard sciences, not the arts or social sciences (pharmacology vs.
literature)" - If you have a choice between chemistry or art history, the money is in the lab. Women
actually earn more than men in such fields as aerospace engineering or radiation therapy.
2. "Gethazardpaywithoutthe hazards (female administrator in the Air Force vs. male combat soldier in
the Army)" - Men often protect women from the hazards of dangerous jobs such as serving in the
military. When women enter hazardous fields, the jobs are often reconfigured to make them less risky.
Thus, women can earn the higher pay of hazardous jobs, yet remain relatively safe.
3. Youcanmakemoremoney"in sleet and heat than indoors and neat (FedEx deliverer vs. receptionist)" -
If you lack training, the jobs that keep you comfy in a heated or air-conditioned office pay less than jobs
outdoors. Don’t restrict your earnings because you don’t want to get cold, hot or dirty.
4. You’llmakemoreinjobswhere "you can’t psychologically check out" at 5 p.m. "(corporate attorney vs.
librarian)" - Successful people see the demands of their work as opportunities, not burdens.
5. "Fieldswithhigherpayoftenhave lower fulfillment (engineer vs. child care professional)" - You will be
paid more to do a job no one else wants, and less to do an appealing job. For example, taking care of
children is rewarding, so the wages are low. .
6. "Choosefieldswithhigher financial and emotional risks (venture capitalist vs. supermarket cashier)" -
Jobs that pay more may entail taking potentially stressful chances on earning commissions or bonuses.
Men are likelier to be risk takers and to pursue commissions instead of accepting secure paychecks for
less money.
7. "Higherpayrequiresworkingthe worst shifts during the worst hours (private practice medical doctor vs.
HMO medical doctor" - Sometimes you can earn more by working unusual or unpleasant hours. Working
at inconvenient times, such as the night shift, will win your peers’ loyalty, your boss’s respect and a
bigger paycheck.
8. Earnmorebyworkingin "unpleasant environments (prison guard vs. restaurant hostess)" - Although
technology now makes some jobs that require heavy lifting, personal risk or long lonely shifts easier for
women, these jobs still pay well.
9. "Updatingpays...(salesengineer vs. French language scholar)" - Keeping up with the very latest
information and the newest trends in your field is lucrative. When women take maternity leave, they
can lose touch.
10. Toearnmore,chooseyour specialty’s more lucrative subfields "(surgeon vs. psychiatrist)" - Headlines
claiming that women doctors or engineers earn less than men are deceptive, because they do not
consider the kinds of doctors or engineers. Women in male- dominated fields advance more
“quickly and earn as much or more. “If an employer had to
pay a man one do”
llar for the same work a woman
could do for 59 cents, why would anyone hire a man?”
In addition, people who earn more do things a little differently. They:
11. "Workmorehours"-Thelonger you work, the more you make. Men who are employed full time work
an average of 45 hours a week; women work 42. A person working 45 hours per week earns 14% more
than a person working 42 hours.
12. "Havemoreyearsofexperience"- People who stay in one field and build their expertise make more
money. Sticking with the same job is especially important when it comes to calculating retirement
packages, which are usually based on what you earned during your final years of service.
13. "Have...yearsofrecent uninterrupted experience" with one company - Continuous years of service to
a company make a difference in organizational pay scales. Women who take a break from work to raise
families can lose seniority. Trying to keep their old jobs available for them causes huge headaches for
their bosses.
14. "Workmoreweeksduringthe year" - To make more money, stay with a job as long as you can. More
women than men leave their jobs mid-year. This skews unemployment statistics, making it appear that
women are paid less when, in fact, they are working less.
15. Be"absentlessoftenfromwork"- Missing workdays, even taking sick time, can result in lower pay.
16. "Commutetojobsthatarefarther away"- The longer you are willing to commute, the more job choices
you will have.
17. "Relocate,especiallytoundesirable locations at the company’s behest" - Employees who are willing to
move, especially to less appealing locations, when the company asks, prove their devotion to their
organization and are rewarded for it.
18. "Travelextensivelyonthejob"- Traveling for work is unappealing to many people because it takes
them away from their families, so companies will pay more to those who are willing to hit the road.
19. "Takeondifferentresponsibilities" and bring in business- Job titles don’t tell the whole story. Workers
who assume responsibility for bringing income into the firm earn more than those who have a more
limited Perception of their roles.
20. "Takeonbiggerresponsibilities"- Some pay differences between men and women occur when men
take on broader responsibilities, for example, managing a national enterprise or division, rather than a
local one.
21. "Requirelesssecurity"-Even when they have the same job titles as women, men take more risk. For
example, male doctors are more likely to run their own practices. Women physicians are more apt to
work for HMOs or the government.
22. Get"morerelevanttraining"- High-level certification matters: men have more Ph.D’s, and have done
more relevant research on the way to receiving those degrees.
23. "Havehighercareergoalstobegin with" - Men ask for promotions and have higher job aspirations. By
and large, they are still the family breadwinners, even if they’d actually prefer to spend less time
working. Women don’t receive promotions because they don’t request them.
24. "Domorein-depthjobsearches"- You are more likely to find a high paying job if you broaden your job
search and look around the country or in other countries.
25. "Aboveall,producemore"- Workers who produce more are paid more, as they should be. Generally,
male court reporters complete more projects; male obstetrician-gynecologists see more patients and
male professors publish more articles.
Male and Female Workers Both Prefer Male Bosses
Women make important contributions to their workplaces. They often have more cooperative work
styles and better social skills than men. Yet some studies have shown that when asked, most people say
they prefer male supervisors to female ones. Conventional wisdom has it that women relate to others as
equals, whereas men tend to be hierarchical. But often, the reality is that men frankly deploy their
power and responsibility, while women hide under a cloak of egalitarianism and can be passive-
aggressive. Men, who are more likely to have played team sports as children, have learned the specifics
of loyalty to the team. Women have less experience with teamwork. Hazing is criticized and outlawed,
but in environments such as police and fire departments and the military, it serves a purpose: to
establish trust among people who must depend on each other for their lives.
Discrimination against Men
Because of hypersensitivity about such issues as sexual harassment and the fear of gender
discrimination lawsuits, companies have bent over backward to accommodate women. Men
instinctively protect women, so when women complain of discrimination, men respond by trying to help
them. All their lives, men have been taught that if they can support their families financially, they will
gain their partner’s affection and the world’s respect. Now, they feel as if the tables have been turned.
They see women doing less at work, yet receiving quicker promotions and higher pay, and they resent it.
Women are rewarded for breaking into previously male-dominated fields, but men have a hard time
even getting a foot in the door in female-dominated areas such as nursing or elementary school
teaching. Men also feel they must watch every move. They may perceive that friendly, mentoring
relationships with women or stress-alleviating jokes can lead to lawsuits.
Isn’t She Lovely? The Advantage of "Genetic Celebrities"
Women have one rarely acknowledged advantage over men: their beauty. Male beauty never confers
the kind of charisma that female beauty brings. Thus, women are paid far more than men in fields such
as modeling, serving cocktails and providing dental hygiene. Employers and clients seek them out
because it is exciting to be around them. These "genetic celebrities" gain "access." In addition, beautiful
women receive "invisible income," in the form of tips, gifts, traffic ticket waivers and dinner invitations.
Ultimately, they attract men from higher income brackets as mates.
Weighing Alternatives for Achieving Balance
You can achieve a satisfying job, happy relationships, a decent salary and a holistic inner life, but it takes
time. For some period in your career, you may need to work for long hours away from your family in
uncomfortable conditions. This period of distraction, absence and difficult logistics will be easier to live
with if you take these steps at home:
• Pay for help - Delegate errands and other tasks that don’t require your skills.
• Work from home when you can - Stay close to your family.
• "Form community" - Network with others in your field.
• Select your spouse or partner with care - Find someone with whom you can share work and family
responsibilities.
• Show kids how to make the most of their time (and yours) - Make sure your children understand that
you have boundaries and work responsibilities. Children should contribute by doing chores, studying and
pursuing extra- curricular interests.
You Can Succeed at Home and Work (But It Isn’t Easy)
Both men and women yearn for time with their families. Achieving a loving, balanced, comfortable
lifestyle requires "trade-offs," but women can abandon "victim power" by using the guidelines above
and seizing control of their decisions. When women do that, men, too, can be freed from guilt and
resentment.
About the Author
Warren Farrell is the author of several books on men in the U.S., including Why Men Are the Way They
Are and The Myth of Male Power. He has appeared on Oprah and Larry King Live.
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