The State of Women in Finance: Big Wins, Real Trade-Offs, and What’s Next
- The WW Team
- Apr 6
- 5 min read
A perspective on the 2025 Women in Finance Compensation Report presented by Zone & Co (a Wednesday Women partner).
At Wednesday Women, we’re all about amplifying the voices of powerhouse women in leadership—and that means bringing both real data and real stories into the spotlight. It’s why we partnered with Zone & Co. (along with the Females in Finance Collective) on their newly released 2025 Women in Finance Compensation Report.
Wednesday Women helped bring the audience for this research together—and now we’re here to help amplify the insights it uncovered: where women in finance are rising, where momentum is slowing, and how companies can build workplaces that actually support the women leading them forward.
Read on for the big themes—and most impactful takeaways.
📈 The Good News: Pay Is Up
The financial gains are real. Women in senior finance roles are earning more than ever—and in some cases, outpacing industry averages.
91% of female CFOs report total annual compensation (base + bonus + equity) of $250K+
67% of VPs and CAOs are also hitting the $250K+ mark
In software, nearly half (49%) of women are earning over $250K
It’s especially encouraging to see how working women in software are thriving in these high-earning brackets. But here's the nuance: although pay parity may be improving, compensation doesn't always equal access—or satisfaction. Titles and pay are only part of the picture.
🚀 Career Growth: Fast, But at a Cost
Smaller companies (under $50M in revenue) offer women faster access to leadership—but often at the expense of balance and support.
55% of CFOs and 60% of VPs in the study work at small firms
40% of women at companies under $10M receive promotions every 1–2 years
But 77% work overtime weekly—and 61% struggle with work-life balance
Smaller financial firms, it appears, are known to provide broader roles, faster advancement, and greater autonomy. But they can also come with long hours, burnout, and lower job satisfaction. Only 9% of women in these environments rated their satisfaction a perfect 10/10.
💡 Smaller firms create faster paths to leadership, but that doesn’t always mean greater fulfillment. Career acceleration without sustainable workloads, mentorship, and support systems can wear even the most ambitious women down.
👩👧👦 Working Mothers Are Thriving—But Carrying a Heavy Load
In an interesting finding, this report challenges the myth of the “motherhood penalty” in certain ways:
58% of working mothers earn over $200K, compared to 31% of non-mothers
66% of working mothers hold VP or higher titles—nearly double the non-mother cohort
84% of the working mothers surveyed have more than 11 years of finance experience
Working mothers are showing up, delivering results, and leading at the highest levels. And they’re not doing it alone—50% rated their support provided by their companies at 8/10 or higher. That said, their success often comes with significant sacrifice:
16% of working mothers work more than 16 hours of overtime per week, nearly 4x the rate of non-mothers
As one participant, Desene Sterling, Controller at Sourcegraph, put it: "You're much better off keeping these employees (mothers) than firing and replacing them."
💡 Working mothers in finance are among the top performers—and yet they’re often putting in significantly more effort to stay on track. Although support for working mothers appears to be solid among survey respondents, companies who overlook or don’t provide enough support for this group are missing a high-impact leadership pipeline.
🧭 Leadership Access Narrows at the Top
As women rise, advancement slows—and support disappears. Especially at larger firms, the road to the C-suite is still heavily gated.
Among survey respondents who work at $1B+ companies, 43% have never been promoted, and none rated their company higher than 8/10 on support for women in leadership
Only 14% of women in billion-dollar firms reported promotion every 1–2 years
These barriers are systemic. Outdated expectations, narrow definitions of leadership, and a lack of internal sponsorship keep women from advancing. And ironically, some women who’ve made it to the top feel pressure to uphold the same grueling standards they once faced—perpetuating the cycle.
💡 Breaking into leadership at a large corporation is tough—but not impossible. Sponsorship, intentional career pathways, and cultural change are needed to shift the default model.
💬 Mentorship: Needed Most, Available Least
Mentorship is critical to climbing the ladder—but access to it drops off just as women hit higher levels of responsibility.
47% of managers rate their mentorship programs highly
But that falls to just 13% of VPs and 17% of Controllers who give company mentorship offerings a high rating
64% of CFOs rate mentorship availability lower than 6/10
Clearly, the emphasis on mentorship drops off for leaders at the higher levels. And it’s not just about guidance—it’s about visibility and belonging. As one respondent put it: “It can be lonely. Joining with other women leaders to support one another and lead a path for the next generation is really important.”
💡 Mentorship isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have. Especially at the senior level, structured sponsorship can make or break the pipeline to executive leadership. Peer mentoring across companies or industry can also have a place in this ongoing leadership development.
🕰️ Flexibility Is a Competitive Edge
Flexibility—meaning more than just scheduling freedom—is one of the strongest tools for retaining top finance talent.
65% of survey respondents rate their workplace 8/10 or higher for schedule flexibility
Women in smaller firms are more likely to work fully remote and receive generous PTO
Flexibility correlates with higher satisfaction across all working women – including both mothers and non-mothers
Flexibility needs to be more than just a buzzword—it has to be paired with supportive policies, leadership trust, and a culture that doesn’t reward burnout. This means flexibility policies should include parental support offerings, vacation and sabbatical options, and opportunity for remote work as relevant.
💡 If you want to retain high-performing women, flexibility isn’t optional. It’s strategic.
🔍 Wednesday Women’s Perspective: Visibility Sparks Change
The 2025 Women in Finance Compensation Report makes one thing clear: while compensation is improving and leadership is within reach, the playing field still isn’t an easy one. Women in finance are making real progress—but they’re also navigating long hours, slow advancement, and a lack of support just when they need it most.
At Wednesday Women, our mission is to make the invisible visible. That means supporting research like this, sharing real stories, and spotlighting the leaders who are breaking barriers—and building bridges for others.
💬 Key Quotations from Survey Respondents: What Women In Finance Want You to Know
"Bring other women with you as you ascend in an organization." "
"We don’t negotiate enough—and we almost feel guilty about it."
"Don’t let others shape who you should be as a leader if it’s not authentic to who you are."
"Mentorship. Sponsorship. Visibility. That’s what changes careers."
📥 Curious for More?
Read the full 2025 Women in Finance Compensation Report from Zone & Co. here 👇
And if you know a woman in finance who’s navigating leadership, driving growth, and an inspiration for others–we encourage you to nominate her for a feature on Wednesday Woman. It’s easy and free. Submit your nomination here.
Let’s keep pushing forward. Together.
