Effects of Family-Related Factors on Female Project Managers’ Salaries in the Construction Industry in the United States

Abstract

This study explores predictors of female project managers’ salary in the construction industry and analyzes the relationship between salaries and specific variables. Although prior research indicates a relationship does exist between certain variables and women’s salaries that research does not focus on the construction industry. This research sought to identify correlations between experience, age, marital status, motherhood, having children at home, and the number of children at home, and female project manager’s salaries in the construction industry. To our knowledge, this study represents the only research of its kind specific to women project managers in the U.S. construction industry. Utilizing a snowball sampling method, 206 survey responses were collected and analyzed through comprehensive descriptive and statistical analyses. A regression model was constructed to determine the predictive power of the variables studied. Fifty percent of the variability in female project manager’s salary can be accounted for by the model produced. The study’s sample showed that, being married and having children at home are negatively correlated with female project managers’ salaries. As would be expected, age and experience are also correlated and the correlation is strongly positive.