Here’s a fact about unequal pay that makes many women uncomfortable: throughout the technology channel—from software VARs to hardware resellers, from managed print service providers to solution integrators—women consistently outperform their male colleagues while earning, on average, 15-17% less for the privilege.
This isn’t an opinion. It’s mathematics. And the equation needs to change.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Let’s look at what happens when women get the opportunity to prove themselves in technology and channel roles:
- Women with technical expertise are 40% more likely to be promoted to managerial roles within five years.
- Women-led businesses today already achieve 22% higher growth rates than their male-led counterparts.
- Companies with gender diversity in leadership are 27% more likely to experience higher profitability.
- Women receive consistently higher performance ratings than their male colleagues.
The punchline? Despite outperforming, women earn just 83-85 cents for every dollar paid to men in similar roles. We’re rated 8.3% lower in terms of potential and are 14% less likely to be promoted.
In other words: better results, worse rewards.
We Cannot Ignore This Anymore
For decades, the reseller channel has operated on relationships, trust, and performance. Yet often enough, when it comes to compensation and advancement, those metrics stop mattering when the top performer is a woman.
Consider the disconnect: Women make up a large part of technology buyers. They dominate university programs in design, communications, and increasingly in technical fields. They excel in consultative selling and solution design, which modern channel success demands.
Yet, walk into any vendor conference, reseller leadership meeting, or technical certification class, and the gender imbalance is glaring. This isn’t just unfair—it’s bad business.
The Performance Premium without the Financial Reward
What does superior female performance look like?
- Higher customer satisfaction scores in service and support roles
- Stronger client retention rates in account management
- Better solution adoption when women lead implementation projects
- More successful cross-selling and upselling in complex environments
Businesses are getting premium performance at discount prices. But that discount has an expiry date.
Three Reasons to End Unequal Pay Now
- Talent has options
The same skills that enable women to excel in your business—such as relationship building, strategic thinking, and technical competence—are highly valued elsewhere. Tech companies, vendors, and end users are all recruiting. They’re offering better packages, clearer advancement paths, and cultures that value performance over politics. - Transparency is inevitable
Major vendors are now requiring diversity reporting from their partners. Customers are asking about company values. Social media makes pay gaps public. The channel’s traditional opacity around compensation is crumbling. - Performance demands recognition
In a market where every point of margin matters, customer experience drives renewals, and technical complexity requires real expertise, can any reseller afford to underpay and undervalue their top performers?
A Message to Leaders
Here’s what you need to understand: Your female employees know their worth. They see their numbers. They compare notes. They’re building networks. And they’re exploring options.
That top sales rep who always hits quota? She knows her male colleague makes 20% more for 20% less production. Your best technical consultant? She’s tired of training men who then get promoted above her. Your star account manager? She’s one unfair compensation review away from starting her own firm.
The women in your organization aren’t asking for special treatment. They’re demanding fair payment for superior performance. And if they don’t get it from you, they’ll get it elsewhere.
The Future Is Already Here
Progressive channel companies are already adapting. They’re conducting pay audits, establishing transparent promotion criteria, and setting diversity targets. They’re not doing this to be nice—they’re doing it to win.
Because here’s the truth: In a talent-constrained market, the companies that recognize and reward performance regardless of gender will attract the best people. They’ll serve customers better. They’ll grow faster. They’ll be more profitable.
The others? They’ll wonder where all their top performers went.
The Clock Is Ticking
For too long, the technology channel has operated on an absurd principle: that gender matters more than performance when it comes to pay and promotion. That a Y chromosome is worth an automatic 15-17% premium. That potential in a man outweighs proven results from a woman.
This system isn’t just unfair—it’s unsustainable. Women are done subsidizing it with our talent. We’re done accepting less for delivering more. We’re done pretending that patience is a virtue when it comes to equality.
The men who’ve been outperformed and overpaid know who they are. Their female colleagues certainly do. The only question is whether companies will address this proactively or hemorrhage talent while clinging to outdated biases.
RELATED READ: Carol Cannata discusses breaking through the ‘glass ceiling.”
