In today’s society, women can pursue virtually any career they choose. All it takes is ambition, the right knowledge, and experience. Women in the 21st century hold leadership positions, run their own businesses, and even lead nations. But if we turn back the pages of history, the picture looks very different. Today, we’re going to explore what professional life was like for Houston’s women in centuries past. Learn more on houstonka.com.
The Role of Women in the Past
Houston was founded in 1836. Over the years, it grew into a major hub for trade, transportation, and the oil industry. This transformation also shaped women’s roles in society.
In the 19th century, most women in Houston worked in traditional “female” occupations such as teaching, sewing, domestic service, and caring for the sick.
According to census data from the 1880s, about 60% of working women in Houston were employed in service jobs or the textile industry.
By the early 20th century, things began to change. The growth of schools for girls, medical facilities, and new businesses created fresh opportunities for women to enter the workforce.
Between 1910 and the 1920s, more women in Houston began working in offices. The first female entrepreneurs appeared, and some women took on roles as social workers. However, their opportunities were still limited by strict social and legal norms. For example, in 1920—right after the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote—only about 25% of women in Houston had formal employment.
Women’s Wages
During World War II, women’s role in Houston’s economy grew significantly. Many worked in industrial plants, oil refineries, and healthcare. This was a turning point for women’s professional lives. By the 1950s, women began entering office work, banking, and education on a large scale.
However, wages for women in Houston were low. On average, they earned about 60–80% of what men made for the same jobs—a trend seen throughout the United States at the time.
In the 19th century, Houston women earned around 44 cents a day—a very modest amount, considering the long hours and demanding labor. For comparison, men in manufacturing typically earned 60–70 cents a day.
Teachers and nurses usually earned slightly better wages, but pay inequality remained. During this period, prostitution was still widespread in Houston and served as one of the few ways for women in desperate circumstances to earn money, despite its criminalization.
There were also stark wage disparities between white and Black women in Houston due to the racial and social inequalities of the time. Black women generally earned significantly less—even when performing the same work.
For instance, Black women’s average earnings could be 20–30% lower than those of white women. Most Black women in Houston worked in agriculture, domestic service, or other physically demanding jobs.
That’s our look back at the professional lives of Houston’s women through history. We hope you found this interesting and learned something new about our city’s past.