Why the Tech Diversity Gap Continues to Persist

Google released its first diversity report in 2014. And the numbers were shocking. Women made up only 17% of its tech workforce. Hispanic professionals held 2% of tech jobs at Google, while Black professionals made up only 1% of the company’s tech team.

“Silicon Valley. It’s where the women, and the minorities, aren’t,” declared USA Today.

Since then, many tech companies have invested in diversity programs and recruited candidates from underrepresented groups. In spite of that, tech still has a diversity problem. And the tech diversity gap is not closing — in fact, it’s growing.

Why is there a persistent diversity gap in tech? Many of the issues aren’t new. And companies have tried to increase diversity through hiring initiatives, mentorship programs, and other efforts.

Yet instead of closing the gap, it’s growing even wider.

Tech is one of the highest-paying industries. But a persistent wage gap hurts underrepresented groups the most.

STEM jobs pay an average salary of $77,400, according to a 2021 Pew Research report. But underrepresented groups earn lower salaries. On average, Hispanic men earn $73,000, while Black men earn $69,200. White women make $66,200 on average, while Hispanic and Black women earn just $57,000. Meanwhile, white men and Asian men make an average of $90,600 and $103,300, respectively.

Even worse, the racial and ethnic pay gap has grown. Between 2016 and 2019, Hispanic STEM workers saw their pay drop from 85% of white pay to 83%. Over the same period, Black STEM workers had a drop from 81% of white pay to 78%.

That mirrors a broader trend. According to the New York Times, Black men with a bachelor’s degree earned 18% less than similarly educated white men in 2010, a gap that grew to 24% in 2019.

The roots of tech’s diversity problem start years before candidates enter the job market. That’s because tech programs — at all levels — educate a disproportionate number of white, Asian, and male students.

Women and Black students make up a smaller share of computer science graduates than in the past. In 2008, Black students earned around 11% of computer science bachelor’s degrees. That percentage dropped below 9% by 2018.

Similarly, women made up 27% of computer science majors in 1998 — a number that dropped to 20% in 2018.

Bootcamps also experience a representation gap. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Black and Latino/a people make up 32% of the population. But only 14% of bootcamp graduates identify as Black or Latino/a.

Landing a tech job does not mean staying in tech. A shocking half of women in tech will leave by the age of 35. That dropout rate is 250% higher than for other jobs.

According to a 2020 survey, only 21% of women agree that it’s easy for women to thrive in tech — a number that drops to an astonishing 8% for women of color.

What’s driving people from tech? Several factors contribute, including a non-inclusive culture. Poor company culture is the number one reason women leave tech, followed by job dissatisfaction and a lack of diversity.

Consider the following statistic — 57% of women in tech report experiencing gender discrimimation. Just 10% of men say the same. And nearly half of Black professionals in tech have experienced racial discrimination.

What does tech’s diversity gap mean for women considering coding careers? Or for Black and Latino/a students interested in tech? Unfortunately, students and tech professionals cannot close the gap alone.

That’s because the diversity problem runs deep.

Unwelcoming tech programs push underrepresented students out before they reach the job market. And a lack of mentors and role models hurts those students as they transition into the workforce. Low pay and poor culture also push tech professionals out of the field.

Recently, the pandemic placed added pressures on women and BIPOC tech professionals. Compared to before the pandemic, tech women’s satisfaction with work/life balance plummeted by 38%. Many pointed to a lack of flexible schedules as a breaking point.

Some tech companies have made progress in spite of the persistent gap. In 2022, Deloitte analyzed 20 major tech companies. While women disproportionately left the workforce during the pandemic, these major companies managed to increase women’s representation.

But Deloitte also found a gap between Big Tech and startups. Only 43% of startups had made diverse hiring a company goal.

What will it take to narrow the diversity gap? In addition to a corporate commitment to diversity, workplaces and classrooms around the world must welcome and support underrepresented students. Without system-wide changes, the diversity gap will likely persist.