While women have been pioneers in the trade industry, new research reveals the staggering pay gap

Do you know the impact women have had in the trades industry? I’ll be honest and say I didn’t. Recently, however, tool supply brand Toolstation has revealed some of the lesser-known achievements of female pioneers.

For example, that dishwasher you load and unload every day was invented by Josephine Cochrane, born in 1839. The windscreen wipers you switch on when it rains were invented by Mary Anderson, born in 1866. The correction fluid (Tipp-Ex) you used at school (or painted your nails with…) was invented by Bette Nesmith Graham, born in 1924.

And this only scratches the surface. From the creation of the Brooklyn Bridge to graphing calculators, women have been defying stereotypes in these industries. Worryingly, however, getting paid the same as their male counterparts is still a problem.

Looking at the gender pay gap within these industries, Toolstation found the biggest pay gap to sit in the electricity and energy supply industry. The average earnings for men in this industry is £49,672 and for women it’s £34,544, creating a gap of £15,128.

Coming in second is the architecture and engineering industry, with a gap of £13,833 per year. Next is construction, with a gap of £12,388 and finally scientific research and development at £10,604.

Toolstation highlight that while construction has a smaller pay gap than others, it is also the industry where women have the potential to earn the least. Women can expect to take home just under £27K per year which is the lowest female annual earnings of all industries.

A spokesperson at Toolstation commented, “There are women all over the world who are pushing past gender stereotypes in their industries, but it is because of key female pioneers like those above that this is even possible.

“By highlighting some of the achievements of women over the last few centuries, we hope to bring to light all the good that women (and men) are continuing to achieve in the industry. While there is work to be done to achieve pay equality in the trades - just as there is in most industries - awareness is key and we hope that by starting these tough conversations, we can begin to see change.”

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