Israeli men earn 44 per cent more

Men in Israeli high-tech earn approximately 44 per cent more than women despite female enrolment in tech fields more than doubling over the past decade, according to a new report from the Israel Innovation Authority.

The report, released on Sunday, shows that while the number of female students in high-tech disciplines has increased by 116 per cent over the past decade and women in research and development roles has more than doubled, women still represent only about 34 per cent of the high-tech workforce.

Women in high-tech earn on average approximately NIS 23,000 ($9400) per month, compared to approximately NIS 33,000 among men, a gap of roughly NIS 10,200 per month.

Significant gaps persist even within the same occupational categories. In R&D roles, men’s salaries are 44 per cent higher, while in headquarters roles the gap reaches 48 per cent. At management levels, disparities are even more pronounced.

Israel Innovation Authority CEO Dror Bin said the challenge lay in structural barriers that accompany women throughout their career path.

“These barriers begin with subject choices in school, continue through academic studies and entry into R&D roles, and extend to promotion, management and salary levels,” Bin said.

“If a significant portion of this capital is not fully realised, the growth and innovation potential of the economy is also affected. Reducing these gaps is not only a social objective, but a clear economic interest for Israel.”

In 2025, approximately 135,000 women were employed in Israeli high-tech, representing only about 34 per cent of the sector’s workforce. This share has remained largely unchanged over the past three decades.

The gaps begin before entry into the labour market. In 2024, only 34.5 per cent of students taking the five-unit matriculation exam in computer science were female, and growth has stalled since 2021.

In academia, women accounted for approximately 34 per cent of students in high-tech disciplines at universities and colleges in the 2024-2025 academic year, up from about 24 per cent at the beginning of the previous decade. However, in core engineering disciplines, women remain significantly underrepresented.

In 2025, approximately 55,000 women were employed in R&D positions, representing 28.4 per cent of all employees in those roles. Women account for approximately 16 per cent of development managers and fewer than 11 per cent of startup CEOs.

Only about eight per cent of funding rounds in recent years were led by companies with female CEOs, representing approximately 4.6 per cent of total capital raised.

Particularly acute disparities are evident in the integration of women from ultra-Orthodox and Arab communities. Nearly 93 per cent of women employed in high-tech are non-ultra-Orthodox Jewish women, while Arab women account for less than two per cent.

The Israel Innovation Authority has continued support mechanisms for women in high-tech, including increased investment rates for startups led by women under the Startup Fund program. A dedicated deep-tech CEO training program saw eight of 20 female participants appointed to CEO positions within months of completion.