South Carolina native talks wage equality for women in new book

Casselmann is a small town South Carolina girl turned Radio City Rockette, turned Tech CEO who encourages women to ask for the pay they deserve. 

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – Women’s labor force participation has reached new highs, however, women are still paid less than men, according to the Center for American Progress.

In South Carolina, women are paid 20% less than their male counterparts, with an average salary of around $50,000 for men and around $40,000 for women in 2022, this is according to Business.org. 

Laura Casselman is a South Carolina native and author of 15 Incremental Steps All Women Can Take to Sprint Up the Money Ladder, she says these comparisons are being seen throughout the country. 

“We are 200 plus years out from pay equality that is unacceptable. I think what we have to start doing is making pay transparent. We have to start talking about the range of pay per position and per output of work, not by race or gender. These things do not have any place in determining someone’s pay,” says Casselman.  

Casselman is a small town South Carolina girl turned Radio City Rockette, turned Tech CEO, who encourages women to ask for the pay they deserve. 

“Show up with your market research, know what that comparable position is generally paid, you need to know what you’re currently being paid and the discrepancy between that, and then you need to also have a running chart of your accomplishments and what those contributions are to the company,” says Casselman.  

What about the times you are aware of the bias against women in the work place? How do you overcome that and what point does a woman need to go another direction?

“So I speak thoroughly in the book about knowing your no. Where is your line and this line is different for all of us. What are you willing to put up with and how far can it go before it starts to negatively impact you, and I think it’s really important for all of us to know our no and to be able to draw that line and say ‘okay I will no longer work here’,” says Casselmann.