Investopedia analyzed the CEOs from Fortune’s list of the 500 largest companies in the United States in 2020. Women were on that list 37 times, beating 2019’s record of 33 female CEOs. Even with record-breaking numbers, just 1 in 13 female CEOs on the list are women.
The number has consistently trended upward over the last two decades. In 2010 there were only 15 women whose companies made the list. In 2000, that number was even smaller at just two women.
Female CEOs tend to get paid slightly more than their male counterparts. A 2018 Associated Press report looked at two-thirds of Fortune 500 CEOs. The analysis found that female CEOs made $12.7 million on average, compared to $11.3 million for men.
In the healthcare industry, 26 percent of executives are women. It’s among the highest of any industry, alongside finance and retail.
One of the biggest reasons that women are not as common in the C-suite is the expectations they feel to balance work and family life. A 2019 Pew Research Center study found that 50 percent of mothers felt being a parent was a hindrance to their career advancement, compared to 39 percent of fathers who felt the same way.
Other possible explanations could be gender bias and the lack of mentorship opportunities. Stanford researchers found women make up just 13 percent of the leadership pipeline.
To read the full report, click here.
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