Pretty in Pink, Paid in Pennies

While scrolling TikTok this weekend (praise be), I came across an intriguing video. The video was of a woman in a pilates studio, talking about how happy she was to wake up early for a ‘pink collared job’ that brings her joy and doesn’t ruin her mental health. I was intrigued. 🤔 What was a pink-collar job, and what did pay gaps have to do with it? More on that below!

Introducing a new section to parallel our freshly launched job board, here are some super transparent job opportunities you can apply to!

Last but not least, we wanted to share this LinkedIn post from corporate recruiter Stephanie Mansueto, of 10 global and non-global development jobs. This includes a Chief Development & Communications Officer in Washington, DC ($300K+), and a hybrid Senior Data Scientist ($139K+).

Do you like this new section? Reply to this email and let us know what type of jobs you’d like us to feature next!

“Just a teacher”…“Only a nurse”

If you’ve ever heard these phrases, you know the subtle bias that comes with working in traditionally female-dominated professions centered in care, education, and service industries, also known as “pink-collar jobs.” 

A few examples of “pink-collar jobs” include social workers, teachers, receptionists, nurses, hairstylists, and fitness professionals, like that pilates instructor from TikTok.

But why are roles that help shape, save, and care for our society sometimes viewed as “lesser” careers? Let’s flip this narrative and explore the highest-paying pink-collar careers and the evolving landscape of these essential roles.

The origin of pink-collar

The term ‘pink-collar’ has an interesting origin, not beginning in a corporate office but from the outcome of World War II in America. As men went off to war, women started taking up roles that were left behind between 1940 and 1945. 

First used by sociologist William J. Baumol in his analysis of gendered divisions in the 1960s, writer Louise Kapp Howe later publicized the term ‘pink-collar’ to describe roles occupied by women at the time, such as nurses, teachers, secretaries, etc. (roles that were undervalued and underpaid).

The modern pink-collar landscape

Fast forward to the 21st century, the pink-collar workforce looks very different than the world Howe described in 1977. Many offer increased benefits like job satisfaction and work-life balance, and some are even pulling higher paychecks. But while pink-collar jobs have made big strides, the pay gap between male and female-dominated professions is still a very “normal” reality. Let’s look at some comparisons in two major categories: education and healthcare.  

The hard truth? Male-dominated jobs pay an average of 2.21 times more than female-dominated jobs in comparable fields. A moment of pause— that’s more than double the compensation for work that's equally essential to keep our world functioning.

Looking Ahead 

Here’s the silver lining - times are changing. Today, some of the highest-paid positions fall within pink-collar industries. Whether you're considering a career change or are curious about the economic trends reshaping the workforce, pink-collar professions might just be your next big opportunity: 

• Healthcare: Specialized roles have promising salaries hitting the 6-figure range. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse practitioners made an average salary of $126K in 2023, but this nurse practitioner we interviewed in Washington, DC makes over $200K! Registered nurses have reported high compensation packages, too, like this travel nurse who made over $240K! The path to these roles requires a nursing degree, state licensure, and, for higher-paying specialties, a master's degree plus certifications. 

• Beauty + Wellness: Modern estheticians are building six-figure businesses by combining traditional services with medical aesthetics, while certified fitness instructors and specialized hairstylists are earning competitive salaries through private clientele and studio ownership. Some level of certification is required depending on your interest and state licensure requirements.

How much did we make in 2024?

In our most transparent episode yet, we’re opening up our books and sharing our gross revenue, income sources, largest and smallest expenses, and total net profit. We also answer which social platforms pay us the most (and least) and how much we pay ourselves.

Tune in to find out, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss exciting new episodes we’ve got planned this year!

• We’re going viral on LinkedIn! Are you following us?

• Plot twist: Your old drawer phone might be your best investment of 2024. Those old phones collecting dust might be worth thousands - all thanks to pre-installed TikTok and the brewing tech war.

• How big business played us all in 2024. A raw look at how major corporations used inflation as a smokescreen for record profits in 2024.

• Microsoft scholarships. Tech giant Microsoft is opening doors with new scholarship opportunities - here's your chance to level up your career.

• 170K reasons to stay, one bigger reason to leave. One woman's story of choosing sanity over salary proves that sometimes the best career move is a step away.

One last thing! We’ll be in New York City tomorrow, January 29th, and we’re announcing something new in our Two Cents episode tomorrow, too! If you want to know where we’ll be filming or just want to say hi (we’d love to meet you!), we’ll be dropping our location in our Instagram broadcast channel. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss the announcement! You can find your preferred viewing/listening platform here.