Juan Matta, Ana María Montoya
Abstract
We examine the economic consequences for women of majoring in the male-dominated fields of Technology and Engineering (TE). Using administrative records and admission discontinuities generated by Chile’s centralized college admission system, we identify causal effects of field of study on labor market outcomes. Majoring in TE yields significant earnings gains for men, but not for women. These gendered returns are only partially explained by sorting across firms and sectors; the bulk reflects women being rewarded differently within similar environments. We also document that child-related earnings penalties are substantially larger for women in TE, suggesting parenthood-related barriers play an important role