These Are The Top 10 Industries Dominated By Women

Curious which industries women are leading today? This list spotlights the top 10 fields where women make up the majority of the workforce, showcasing their impact, influence, and continued growth.

Women have made great strides in America’s labor force since the 1930s. Several federal laws — including the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — further improved women’s economic status and employment opportunities in the United States.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024, women now make up a majority in Healthcare & Care Services (62.1%), Education (54.4%), Consumer Services (53.1%), and Government & Public Sector (50.7%).

The U.S. personal care market is booming: projected at $68.2 billion in 2024 and growing at ~6.7% annually and clean-beauty trends continue — 63% of US consumers now look for natural ingredients, and social buzz hashes #CleanBeauty into the billions.

Personal care workers provide health care services for older adults and people with disabilities. Most often, these caregivers work in private residences or health care facilities where they provide one-to-one assistance with daily activities, such as getting dressed, bathing, eating or walking.

They also chart their patient’s progress, while some manage medications and dietary needs. Personal care workers are highly intuitive to patient requirements and tend to them with the utmost concern.

Growth in healthcare and education jobs is on the rise: these fields added about 36,000 jobs recently, reinforcing women’s leadership there.

Teaching professions are one of the most fulfilling careers you can pursue, preparing today’s youth for greatness. Teachers may work with young children in preschool and kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school and college.

Depending on the grade level, you may see more women teaching than men. For example, 89% of elementary school teachers were women in the 2017–18 school year, while they made up 64% at the secondary level.

The beauty industry covers many professions, such as hair stylists, makeup artists, estheticians and dermatologists. In fact, the dermatology workforce alone is on an upward trend of 1.2% annually. As more women enter the field, new advancements have taken hold, such as automation and practice management partnerships to improve marketing and office operations.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, women account for 92% of registered dieticians and nutritionists in the U.S., often working at private practices, clinics and schools. If you’re interested in helping clients adopt healthier eating habits and improved lifestyles, a career in dietetics and nutrition may be suitable for you.

Women have a long history of holding customer service representative positions and still account for 65.8% of customer service roles today. Customer service representatives work in various industries — including food and retail — providing exemplary service and problem-solving to callers and patrons.

Another popular woman-dominated position is the administrative assistant. Today, nearly 94% of administrative assistants are women working as secretaries or executive assistants in business, legal, social and medical fields. Most administrative assistant jobs require at least a high school diploma, making it an excellent entry-level role for many women.

About 89.2% of clinical medical assistants are women. Medical assistants usually work in a private practice or hospital, garnering patient information such as medical history and vitals. Medical assistants work under a doctor’s orders and also assist with treatments and care during appointments.

Health information technicians are another woman-dominated role in the medical field, responsible for inputting and maintaining patient information within a computer system. Other duties usually include record retrievals for insurance purposes and assigning clinical codes for diagnoses, services and procedures. Health information technicians must uphold a high standard of confidentiality at all times.

The American Speach-Language-Hearing Association says 96% of speech pathologists are women, most of whom perform in health clinics or school settings. Speech pathologists work with children and adults with speech or language impediments due to various health conditions, such as dementia and stroke. Most speech pathologists must have a master’s degree and proper licensing before entering the field.

At-home child care has long been considered “women’s work” among gender roles, however, now it has now evolved into a large industry run by women. Most childcare workers supervise babies and toddlers, introducing them to fundamental concepts and skills. This is usually done through storytelling, creative activities, games and educational play that encourages childhood development.

A McKinsey “Women in the Workplace 2024” report shows women now hold 29% of C‑suite roles, up from 17% in 2015—though mid-tier promotions lag behind.

There is a way to go before women fully bridge the gender gap in the labor force. However, they are leading in several lucrative, fulfilling industries. Undoubtedly, the talent and breadth of skills women bring to the workplace are unfounded.