Abstract:

As the Information Technology (IT) sector continues its global expansion, ensuring equitable pay structures is of critical importance for sustainable workforce development. This paper investigates the complex dynamics of the gender pay gap within this sector, analyzing how these differences evolve with years of professional experience and levels of education. Using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) on a publicly available dataset, the study focuses on interaction effects, revealing that the pay gap is not a static phenomenon. This methodological approach allows for a nuanced analysis, moving beyond simple mean comparisons to explore how the gender-based salary differential is conditional on other factors. A key finding is the non-linear nature of the gap throughout a career: an initial gap favoring men reverses to favor women in the early career stage (4-7 years of experience), only to revert to favoring men in later stages. Furthermore, the analysis shows that education acts as a moderator, with the gap being almost non-existent among individuals with a PhD but most pronounced among those with a bachelor's degree. These findings have significant implications for policy-making, suggesting that effective interventions must be tailored to the specific career stages and educational backgrounds of employees.

Keywords:

Gender, pay gap, IT sector, interaction effects, ANCOVA.