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Perceived Wages and the Gender Gap in STEM Fields

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  • Osikominu, Aderonke

    (University of Hohenheim)

  • Pfeifer, Gregor

    (University of Sydney)

Abstract

We estimate gender differences in elicited wage expectations among German University students applying for STEM and non-STEM fields. Descriptively, women expect to earn less than men and also have lower expectations about wages of average graduates across different fields. Using a two-step estimation procedure accounting for self-selection, we find that the gender gap in own expected wages can be explained to the extent of 54-69% by wage expectations for average graduates across different fields. However, gender differences in the wage expectations for average graduates across different fields do not contribute to explaining the gender gap in the choice of STEM majors.

Suggested Citation

  • Osikominu, Aderonke & Pfeifer, Gregor, 2018. "Perceived Wages and the Gender Gap in STEM Fields," IZA Discussion Papers 11321, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11321
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    Cited by:

    1. Giovanna Di Castro & Valentina Ferri & Salvatore Marsiglia, 2022. "Why do women choose stem educational path?," RIEDS - Rivista Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica - The Italian Journal of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Studies, SIEDS Societa' Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, vol. 76(3), pages 4-12, July-Sept.
    2. Esteban Aucejo & Jonathan James, 2021. "The Path to College Education: The Role of Math and Verbal Skills," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 129(10), pages 2905-2946.
    3. Ana Maria Munoz Boudet & Lourdes Rodriguez Chamussy & Christina Chiarella & Isil Oral Savonitto, 2021. "Women and STEM in Europe and Central Asia," World Bank Publications - Reports 35463, The World Bank Group.
    4. Pamela Giustinelli, 2022. "Expectations in Education: Framework, Elicitation, and Evidence," Working Papers 2022-026, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    5. Ana Fernandes & Martin Huber & Giannina Vaccaro, 2021. "Gender differences in wage expectations," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(6), pages 1-24, June.
    6. David E. Bloom & Victoria Y. Fan & Vadim Kufenko & Osondu Ogbuoji & Klaus Prettner & Gavin Yamey, 2021. "Going beyond GDP with a parsimonious indicator: inequality-adjusted healthy lifetime income," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 19(1), pages 127-140.
    7. Carlos Gradín & Félix Mambo & Yonesse Paris & Ricardo Santos, 2020. "Unequal expectations: Gender inequality in salary expectations of university students," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-78, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Mcnally, Sandra, 2020. "Gender differences in tertiary education: what explains STEM participation," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108232, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Isphording, Ingo E. & Qendrai, Pamela, 2019. "Gender Differences in Student Dropout in STEM," IZA Research Reports 87, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender gap; wage expectations; college major choice; STEM;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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