Salary Equity Is a Lie: Here’s What Latinas in Tech Really Earn
Let’s stop pretending salary equity is real. In 2025, we’re still out here earning 52 cents on the dollar. That’s not equity. That’s theft.
Latinas are powering one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but our checks aren’t catching up. This isn’t about motivation. This is about math. So let’s get into the numbers, the lies we’ve been told, and how we’re taking our piece—not asking for it.
Current Landscape: Salary Stats and Trends for Women in Tech
In 2025, the U.S. Latino economy is projected to reach $3.6 trillion. That number places us among the top global economies, expected to surpass Japan by the end of this year and Germany by 2027. If Latinos in the U.S. were their own country, we would be one of the largest economies in the world.
And yet, most people, including many of us, don’t fully grasp what that means.
This is more than a statistic. It’s a wake-up call!
We are not invisible. We are not small. We are not emerging. We are already a force, and it’s time we start negotiating, leading, and building like it.
How Women Are Faring in the Tech Industry
The gender pay gap in tech remains stubbornly persistent, with women across all backgrounds earning approximately 83 cents for every dollar earned by men. For Latinas specifically, this figure drops to around 51 cents, one of the widest gaps among all demographic groups in the industry.
That $3.6 trillion represents labor, creativity, culture, entrepreneurship, and resilience. It includes small business owners, gig workers, service workers, and, yes, tech professionals.
But here’s the challenge. While we power the economy, we’re still not receiving our share of the wealth we help generate. Latinas especially face some of the deepest wage disparities, earning only 51 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
In other words, this has nothing to do with you as an individual and everything to do with systemic exclusion. But we are not waiting for permission to change that. We’re taking action, AHORA. You in?
Latinas Drive Economic Value, But Still Face Pay Gaps
Latinas are launching businesses at faster rates than any other demographic. We’re graduating from college in growing numbers. We’re showing up in tech, healthcare, media, finance, and education. But we’re still being systemically underpaid, undervalued, and under-promoted.
We are not a footnote in this economy. We are the engine. And it’s time we started negotiating from that place of power.
Why This Matters in Tech
The tech industry shapes innovation, infrastructure, and the future of work. It's also a space where Latinas are critically underrepresented, often isolated, and deeply underpaid compared to our peers.
If you're a Latina in tech, or trying to break in, understand this clearly: you are not an outsider. You bring lived experience, adaptability, and insight that companies need but rarely know how to value.
That is why salary negotiation is not just about getting more money but about shifting power. It's about correcting decades of exclusion. It's about being part of something bigger than yourself.
5 Ways Latinas Can Close the Salary Equity Gap
1.Recognize Your Contribution.
You are already contributing to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Internalize that. Stop undervaluing your labor, your insight, your cultural fluency, and your innovation.
2. Know the Market, Do your research.
Understand what someone with your skills, experience, and impact is earning in your industry. Don't rely solely on company-provided ranges. Use multiple data sources, and talk to peers.
3. Lead with Evidence, Not Emotion.
When negotiating, bring receipts for the results and impact you had a hand in. Highlight outcomes, metrics, initiatives you’ve led, and problems you’ve solved. Frame your value in business terms. You are not pleading. You are aligning compensation with market value.
4. Build a Strategy, Not Just a Script.
Prepare for resistance and pushback. Anticipate lowball offers. Have a clear plan for countering. Practice out loud. Know your non-negotiables. Be willing to walk away if the offer doesn’t meet your value.
5. Build Your Network.
Empowered negotiation doesn’t happen in isolation. Surround yourself with other Latinas in tech, coaches, mentors, and allies. Share scripts. Share knowledge. Share strategy. This is about collective progress.
6. Don’t Just Break In, Build Up.
Whether you’re the only Latina in the room or leading a team, look around and ask, who else can I lift while I rise? Economic power scales when we build it together.
FAQs: Salary Equity
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The average salary for women in tech varies by role, location, and experience level. Recent data shows women in the tech industry generally earn between $70,000 and $140,000 annually depending on these factors. However, this broad range masks the persistent gender pay gap, with women earning approximately 83-87 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts in similar positions. For Latinas specifically, the gap widens dramatically to just 52-57 cents on the dollar compared to white, non-Hispanic men in equivalent roles.
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Yes, extensive research consistently confirms that women receive lower compensation than men in tech roles, even when controlling for factors like experience, education, and job title. Recent analysis from PayScale shows women in technology earn 94 cents for every dollar earned by men when comparing identical job titles and qualifications, a figure that drops to 83 cents when looking at the industry as a whole without controlling for position.
For Latinas specifically, the disparity is significantly worse, with earnings of just 52 cents per dollar compared to white, non-Hispanic men in tech roles. This gap manifests differently across career stages: women typically receive starting offers 5-7% lower than men for identical roles, and by mid-career, the gap widens to 10-15%, reflecting both lower starting salaries and slower advancement. At senior levels, the disparity often exceeds 20%, with significant equity compensation differences.
The gender pay gap exists even in companies that pride themselves on meritocratic cultures. When GitHub analyzed its own compensation data, it discovered women were receiving lower offers despite identical qualifications—a finding that prompted the company to implement systematic changes to its compensation practices.
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To determine if you're being underpaid, gather multiple data points from sources like Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, PayScale, and industry salary surveys specific to your location and role. Professional associations often publish compensation reports for specific sectors. Additionally, speak with recruiters who specialize in your field, as they typically have current market knowledge.
Salary Equity Is Your Right, Not a Reward
We are not here to be grateful for scraps. We are here to claim what we’ve earned. The Latina contribution to the U.S. economy is undeniable, and it’s time our paychecks, positions, and power reflect that.
If you’re navigating a salary negotiation, trying to grow your role in tech, or simply ready to understand your economic worth, remember that your voice, your value, and your vision matter. And you don’t have to do it alone.
You are not just part of the economy. You are shaping it.