A survey by the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) has found that men in the supply chain field earned on average 29% more than women overall in 2017. The gap was greatest between men and women in high-level positions.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, “The gap has narrowed slightly since 2016, when the disparity in salaries was 31 percentage points. But women were still paid less than men in 2017 across various white-collar supply chain jobs, from junior purchasing positions to the C-suite. In the relatively few most senior positions such as executive vice president, men on average earned 26% more than women in similar posts.”
“According to ISM’s median salary data, women in the supply-chain sector earned 81 cents for every dollar that men did in 2017. The median salary for women was $88,000, compared to $108,000 for men.”
Sana Raheem, head of operations at the Farmer’s Dog and an AWESOME network member, is quoted in the WSJ article, describing her own career experience. “’I had many moments early in my career where I was told to slow down, be less aggressive, and pay my dues,’ said Ms. Raheem, 29, who previously was director of supply chain operations at meal-kit maker Blue Apron Holdings Inc. ‘I saw a lot of women around me accept similar feedback and spend years making less than their male counterparts.’”
Noting how the profession has changed, Robert Handfield, a professor of supply chain management and executive director of the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative at North Carolina State University’s Poole College of Management, is quoted as saying, “The industry is increasingly well suited for women. It involves identifying opportunities, thinking strategically, and working collaboratively.”