Equality, diversity, and inclusion
Zoë Morris
President
Tenth Revolution Group
AWS has long acknowledged the inequalities that need to be addressed within its own ecosystem and the broader impact this has on both the tech community and society as a whole. We are proud to contribute to these efforts by striving for better representation and providing more opportunities for diverse individuals within our organization and the industry.
The tech industry has historically created barriers for diverse professionals, and our mission is to dismantle these obstacles by supporting individuals from all backgrounds in starting, restarting, and advancing their tech careers. By offering these undervalued candidates our market expertise and personalized support, we are not only building diverse and sustainable talent pipelines for our clients but also working to enhance representation and inclusion throughout the AWS community.
Expand to keep reading the thoughts of our President Zoë Morris
We also take pride in celebrating the outstanding EDI initiatives implemented across the tech sector each year by helping put together the Digital Revolution Awards. The awards recognize organizations and individuals making a difference within the industry, both through allyship as well as creating better workplaces that inspire people of all backgrounds to enjoy a long and successful career in tech.
While there are some encouraging trends in the data presented in this guide, it’s clear that much more work remains. For instance, with fewer respondents investing in EDI initiatives this year compared to last, it’s concerning that some may feel they’ve already resolved these issues within their organizations. Regardless of the reasons, it’s crucial to remember that EDI is a journey, not a destination—and if you’re not continually progressing, you may be regressing.
The good news is that taking small steps today can lead to significant change tomorrow. We genuinely hope this data inspires organizations to start addressing these issues immediately. Diversity and inclusion are the cornerstones of the AWS community, and every individual and organization must play their part to celebrate and empower exceptional talent from all backgrounds.
We all play a role in ensuring that everyone in the AWS community can be their best and most authentic selves, and the work to achieve that starts now.
For detailed insights into the demographic profile of our respondents
What do equality, diversity, and inclusion look like in the AWS universe?
Does your employer have a policy on either of the following?
| Yes, there is a clear policy | 60% |
| Yes, but the policy has not been formalized | 10% |
| No | 9% |
| Not sure | 21% |
| Yes, there is a clear policy | 53% |
| Yes, but the policy has not been formalized | 11% |
| No | 12% |
| Not sure | 24% |
Equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives
EDI Initiatives
Almost two-thirds (61%) of organizations have invested resources into EDI initiatives, down from 66% in our previous survey.
What are organizations' top EDI priorities?
Are employers providing equal pay for equal work?
-
Yes, I believe my employer pays men and women equally 62% -
Some of my colleagues who identify as men are paid equally, but not all 6% -
No, I believe colleagues who identify as men are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience 5% -
Some of my colleagues who identify as women are paid equally, but not all 1% -
No, I believe colleagues who identify as women are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience 0% -
Not sure 25%
- Yes, I believe my employer pays men and women equally 63%
- Some of my colleagues who identify as men are paid equally, but not all 6%
- No, I believe colleagues who identify as men are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience 4%
- Some of my colleagues who identify as women are paid equally, but not all 1%
- No, I believe colleagues who identify as women are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience 0%
- Not sure 26%
- Yes, I believe my employer pays men and women equally 55%
- Some of my colleagues who identify as men are paid equally, but not all 9%
- No, I believe colleagues who identify as men are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience 18%
- Some of my colleagues who identify as women are paid equally, but not all 0%
- No, I believe colleagues who identify as women are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience 0%
- Not sure 18%
Are organizations championing equal rights?
Over two-thirds (67%, which is down from 73% in our previous survey) of professionals believe their employer champions equal rights, 22% (up from 16%) still think more work needs to be done, while 10% are unsure.
What are employers doing well in building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization?
DevOps Engineer
United Kingdom
Software Engineer
United States
Cybersecurity Architect
United States
“They support employee resource groups that provide a space for underrepresented groups to connect, share experiences, and influence organizational policies.”
Cloud Engineer
United States
Diversity in the workplace
| Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People of all cultures and backgrounds are respected and valued in my organization | 84% | 9% | 4% | 2% |
| My employer promotes racial and ethnic diversity in their workforce | 67% | 16% | 11% | 6% |
| There are policies in place to support employee mental health | 64% | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| My employer recruits and retains mature-aged staff | 61% | 18% | 15% | 5% |
| Promotion decisions are made fairly in my organization | 57% | 16% | 17%* | 9% |
| The workforce includes people with disabilities and neurodiversity | 57% | 21% | 10% | 13% |
| Agree | 84% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 9% |
| Disagree | 4% |
| Not sure | 2% |
| Agree | 67% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 16% |
| Disagree | 11% |
| Not sure | 6% |
| Agree | 64% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 13% |
| Disagree | 11% |
| Not sure | 12% |
| Agree | 61% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 18% |
| Disagree | 15% |
| Not sure | 5% |
| Agree | 57% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 16% |
| Disagree | 17%* |
| Not sure | 9% |
| Agree | 57% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 21% |
| Disagree | 10% |
| Not sure | 13% |
Nearly one-fifth (17%) of respondents expressed doubts about the fairness of promotion decisions within their organization, with 69% attributing this concern to the absence of clear processes and procedures in the decision-making.
Gender diversity in the workplace
| Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men and women are treated equally in my workplace | 80% | 13% | 5% | 2% |
| The organization is gender-diverse, in that different genders are equally represented in the workforce | 78% | 11% | 8% | 3% |
| There is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level | 68% | 15% | 12% | 5% |
| Agree | 80% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 13% |
| Disagree | 5% |
| Not sure | 2% |
| Agree | 78% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 11% |
| Disagree | 8% |
| Not sure | 3% |
| Agree | 68% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 15% |
| Disagree | 12% |
| Not sure | 5% |
| Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men and women are treated equally in my workplace | 80% | 12% | 6% | 1% |
| The organization is gender-diverse, in that different genders are equally represented in the workforce | 79% | 9% | 10% | 2% |
| There is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level | 68% | 14% | 13% | 5% |
| Agree | 80% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 12% |
| Disagree | 6% |
| Not sure | 1% |
| Agree | 79% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 9% |
| Disagree | 10% |
| Not sure | 2% |
| Agree | 68% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 14% |
| Disagree | 13% |
| Not sure | 5% |
| Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men and women are treated equally in my workplace | 91% | 8% | 0% | 0% |
| The organization is gender-diverse, in that different genders are equally represented in the workforce | 84% | 8% | 8% | 0% |
| There is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level | 83% | 17% | 0% | 0% |
| Agree | 91% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 8% |
| Disagree | 0% |
| Not sure | 0% |
| Agree | 84% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 8% |
| Disagree | 8% |
| Not sure | 0% |
| Agree | 83% |
|---|---|
| Neutral | 17% |
| Disagree | 0% |
| Not sure | 0% |
Does gender inequality exist in the tech industry?
More than half (56%) of our respondents, consistent with our previous survey, believe there is a gender imbalance in the tech industry, indicating that little progress has been made in the last year.
| All respondents | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, there is gender inequality | 56% | 52% | 100% |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 12% | 13% | 0% |
| No, there is no gender inequality | 27% | 30% | 0% |
| Not sure | 5% | 6% | 0% |
Yes, there is gender inequality
| All respondents | 56% |
|---|---|
| Men | 52% |
| Women | 100% |
| All respondents | 12% |
|---|---|
| Men | 13% |
| Women | 0% |
| All respondents | 27% |
|---|---|
| Men | 30% |
| Women | 0% |
| All respondents | 5% |
|---|---|
| Men | 6% |
| Women | 0% |
Conclusion
Over half (52%) of male respondents believing that gender inequality exists in tech (up from 13% last year) is a massive concern, with the caveat that it can potentially be taken two ways. The first is obvious—that the industry has a very real problem with gender inequality and it needs to be addressed as an urgent concern. The second, perhaps, is that those working within tech have finally realized and acknowledged it. And if it is the latter, then the good news is that we could be on the cusp of real change.
Results are certainly mixed when it comes to other strands within EDI, with general agreement on people of all cultures and background being respected and valued, but it’s disheartening at best to see only 57% of employers appearing to make concessions to include people with disabilities and neurodiversity.
Clearly, there’s much work still to be done then, even if it feels like progress is being made.
Careers and Hiring Guide
AWS Edition 2025
Key Findings
Our key findings report contains highlights from this year’s Careers and Hiring Guide, plus our salary tables to allow you to compare your compensation or benchmark your teams’ salaries or rates no matter their role in the AWS ecosystem.
