Utah Women and STEM

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the SheTech Explorer Day at the Mountain America Expo Center, hosted by Women Tech Council . I was astonished at the over 3,000 young women from around the state who had gathered to learn more about STEM careers, and even more surprised at how many companies actively support the event which is now in its 10th year. It’s wonderful to see some progress being made to introduce STEM fields to more girls and young women. I love this photo above with Governor Spencer Cox !

Utah currently ranks last in the country (23.5%) for the number of women in STEM careers, according to the Status of Women in the States . Despite STEM opportunities that are plentiful in Utah, women remain vastly underrepresented. In 2022, the Utah Women & Leadership Project published a report titled, Utah Women & STEM: A 2022 Update . Thanks to my co-author Rebecca Winkel , senior policy advisor for the API - American Petroleum Institute , for her expertise and contributions to this report as the lead author.

The median annual wage for careers in the STEM fields is $97,980, nearly double that of non-STEM occupations ($44,670). WalletHub’s 2024 rankings for the Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals, lists three Utah cities ranked in the top 100:? Salt Lake City at 13, Provo at 58, and Ogden at 64. Within STEM professional fields, women tend to be concentrated in the social and life sciences and have much lower shares in computer and engineering fields.??

Possible Reasons for Gender Gap

Differences between men and women in STEM education fields persist worldwide and begin as early as elementary school. Although most young children have similar capabilities in math and science, many girls lose confidence in their math abilities by third grade. By the time students enter college, men dominate the STEM majors, particularly math-intensive fields such as physics, engineering, and computer science. In fact, men outnumber women almost four to one in STEM majors.?

Cultural gender norms and attitudes that delineate many STEM fields and occupations as masculine may be one reason that women remain underrepresented in both STEM degree fields and the STEM workforce. Gender stereotypes about women’s abilities impact girls’ and women’s own internal biases, undermining their confidence in technical subjects and discouraging them from pursuing STEM jobs. This is especially problematic for girls and women of color. These socialized attitudes can also lead to bias in educators, colleagues, or superiors at work, who may, either openly or tacitly, underestimate the abilities of or discriminate against female students, peers, or subordinates.??

In STEM workplaces, women often feel isolated by limited access to female peers, role models, and mentors. This may be one reason that women leave STEM careers at disproportionately higher rates than men, particularly those who are working parents. And, while the unemployment rate for STEM workers is lower than that of non-STEM professionals, women in STEM experience higher unemployment than men in STEM careers. Employers, policy makers, and other stakeholder need to focus efforts on recruiting and retaining female employees.

Increasing Participation

Promoting a strong female STEM workforce in Utah requires effort from multiple stakeholders, including education providers, policy makers, and businesses. To ensure the sufficient local supply of qualified employees to fill future STEM jobs, Utah stakeholders must increase efforts in promoting STEM fields (and specifically women in STEM) at all levels, including K-12, higher education, and professional employment.?Utah is fortunate to have resources such as the STEM Action Center, Tech-Moms, Women Tech Council, and numerous STEM summer camps and support organizations.

Conclusion

Mirroring national trends, the growing number of employment opportunities in Utah’s STEM sector requires both more STEM talent overall and more equitable gender representation. Accordingly, Utah needs significant investment into efforts that encourage and mentor Utah girls and young women to pursue STEM education and careers, and industries must continue to improve the corporate climate to attract and retain women in STEM fields. This includes family-friendly policies that support working parents with flexible schedules, paid leave, and remote work opportunities. Successful efforts to increase female participation in STEM fields will strengthen all of Utah.?

For this reason, STEM Fields is one of the areas of focus for A Bolder Way Forward . The STEM Fields spoke focuses on strengthening the interest in and economic impact of women in science, technology, engineering, and math by focusing on sustainable strategies, initiatives, and programs at every stage of the talent pipeline from K-12 schools to the boardroom. Increasing the number of women in STEM degrees and occupations will result in educational, societal, and economic benefits in Utah and around the globe.

To learn more about Utah women and STEM,?read the full snapshot .

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?Dr. Susan R. Madsen is a global thought leader, author, speaker, and scholar on the topic of women and leadership. She is also the Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project . Thank you to co-author Rebecca Winkel. ?