Gender Balance and Your Paycheck

It's well documented that a woman's pay is often less
than a man's—even for the same work. But research finds
such wage discrimination infectious: Managers who work with more females,
either as subordinates or peers, earn less than those who work with
mostly men, according to a survey of some 500 companies.

"This is a hidden phenomenon that affects both men and women
managers," says Cheri Ostroff of Columbia University in New York. A
similar trend occurs when workers' average age veers above or below
age 40.

Ostroff found pay discrepancies across a wide range of industries
from engineering firms to advertising companies. On average, managerial
pay decreases approximately $500 for each 10-percent increase of women in
the office. The salary for managing a group of only women was $9,000 less
than managing a team equally divided by gender.