Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Construction Coverage.
Construction has long been a male-dominated field. According to recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau, only 11.7% of payroll employees in the construction industry are women. However, a shift is underway.
In recent years, the Department of Labor’s Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant program has allocated millions of dollars to bolster women’s participation in industries like construction.
And with the construction industry facing a massive worker shortage — estimated at 349,000 workers — recruiting women into construction roles has become a necessity for sustaining growth and meeting demand.
While women remain underrepresented in the workforce, the data reveals a gradual yet consistent upward trend in female employment within the construction sector.
While the construction industry remains male-dominated nationally, the underrepresentation of women in construction is less pronounced in certain parts of the country. This variation highlights regional differences in workforce dynamics, compensation levels, and diversification efforts within the industry.
To find the cities with the most female construction employment, researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau. For more information, refer to the methodology section at the end.
Here are the cities where the most women work in construction jobs.
15. Colorado Springs, CO
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 13.6%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 3,773
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 23,977
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $62,033
14. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 13.8%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 3,587
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 22,357
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $53,284
13. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 13.9%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 12,835
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 79,467
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $70,414
12. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.0%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 7,160
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 44,161
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $58,880
11. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.0%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 16,468
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 101,567
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $52,682
10. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.2%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 5,147
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 31,059
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $50,978
9. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.2%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 15,338
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 92,351
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $51,634
8. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.2%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 20,029
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 121,124
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $82,512
7. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.5%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 2,994
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 17,612
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $51,318
6. North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.5%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 5,228
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 30,866
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $56,608
5. Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.6%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 4,597
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 26,799
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $53,735
4. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.6%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 6,583
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 38,463
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $50,569
3. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 14.9%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 14,045
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 79,903
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $59,836
2. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 15.7%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 16,565
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 89,255
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $52,248
1. Jacksonville, FL
- Female employment share in the construction industry: 17.4%
- Total female employment in the construction industry: 10,278
- Total male employment in the construction industry: 48,926
- Median earnings for full-time workers in the construction industry: $57,576
Methodology
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. Due to sample size constraints, one-year estimates were used for national statistics, while five-year estimates were used for state and MSA statistics.
To determine the locations with the most women in construction, researchers at Construction Coverage ranked locations by the percentage of employees in the construction industry that are female. In the event of a tie, locations with the higher total female employment in the construction industry were ranked higher.
Additionally, due to statistical significance limitations of the dataset, only the top 100 metropolitan areas by population with complete data were included in the analysis.
Read the full article here
