Women in SaaS partnerships have to work longer to earn what men do. In this article, we break down the data behind the partnership wage gap and what we can all be doing to help close it.
In the 2022 State of Wage Inequality in the Tech Industry report, Hired revealed there’s been a decrease in the number of positions offering lower salaries to women than men since 2019.
However, despite positive changes in compensation, women in tech still face wage inequality:
- The World Economic Forum reported that, regardless of job industry, type, or years of experience, women earned $0.82 for every dollar men made in 2022.
- Women across all industries and years of experience are paid 18.4% less than men, according to Forbes.
- After climbing steadily since 2016, the number of women in leadership roles is trending slightly downward.
As a relatively new function in SaaS, we wondered how the gender wage gap has impacted partnership roles in recent years. And while the gender wage gap is decreasing, women are spending more years working before they’re able to earn equal pay as men.
Below, we examine what this wage gap looks like for women in SaaS partnerships and how we can all advocate for equal pay.
Women in SaaS partnerships are underpaid for their first 16 years
From 2021 to 2022, the gender wage gap in partnership roles shrunk at most seniority levels. (source: 2023 State of the Partner Ecosystem Report). At the VP-level, there was an 83% reduction in the wage gap. In 2021, the gender wage gap for VP-level partnership roles was $24K. Now, it’s $4K. But is this a reason for celebration or a deviation from what continues to be the norm?
As of early 2023, women now out-earn men at two seniority levels:
- Women in entry-level associate/analyst partnership roles out-earn men by an average of $14K.
- Women in C-suite partnership roles out-earn men by an average of $19K.
The data seems optimistic. However, when we compared the salaries of women and men by years of experience, we found something interesting: Women earn less than men with the same years of experience working in partnerships for the first 16 years of their careers.
Source: 2023 State of the Partner Ecosystem Report
Men also get bigger raises than women with increasing years of experience for the first 10 years of their careers. After just one year of experience, men in partnerships get an additional $43K a year. Comparatively, women with the same experience only get an additional $31K a year. That is a $12K difference.
Your data-points for negotiating your salary
One way to combat the gender wage gap in partnerships is by arming yourself with the data on how much you are likely underpaid.
Don’t wait for a title change to ask for a raise.
As we’ve discussed, seniority alone isn’t an effective measure of wage inequality. In addition to your title, you should be compensated based on your years of experience. Advocate for yourself during your mid or end-of-year review, regardless of whether or not you get a title bump.
Contribute compensation data to industry surveys and to sites like Glassdoor.
When you fill out a survey that asks for your compensation or anonymously list your salary on your company’s Glassdoor page, you provide others in the industry with the stats they need to advocate for a raise. It’s hard to fight against a wage gap if you don’t know what it looks like. Reporting your salary helps reveal a more accurate picture of the wage gap for yourself and others.
Check how your current compensation compares to the average compensation for men.
If you’re a woman in tech, the data shows there’s a high chance that you’re underpaid. Compensation data is a powerful negotiation tool, and we’re making our compensation data available.
By surveying hundreds of people through our State of the Partner Ecosystem survey, we’ve gathered compensation data by seniority, years of experience, and more.
Subscribe to Crossbeam Insider to get those numbers and more in the upcoming weeks.
