A career in SaaS probably never looked more attractive. As one of the fastest and hottest growth stories in tech, it’s estimated that the global SaaS market, which was valued at $281.8 billion in 2024, will reach a whopping US$774.3 billion by 2030. That’s almost a threefold increase in just three years and is indicative of an upward trajectory that shows no sign of slowing as organizations race to digitalize and move core operations into the cloud. The result is a hugely lucrative sector to be operating in. From engineering, product and design through to sales, marketing and operations, the opportunities in SaaS are vast, as are the salary bands and the scope for progression.
Yet despite this, the reality is that the sector still seems to attract one half of the population far more than the other – and that half is overwhelmingly male. According to the SaaS Industry Council, just one in five C-Suite execs in the sector are women. A separate study suggests only 30% of SaaS employees are women, a figure which plummets to 10% at C-level. Unfortunately, though, while certainly concerning, these figures aren’t hugely surprising. Even with all the progress toward inclusivity being made, being a woman in SaaS is still far from easy. Women are still more likely to earn lower wages and have less parity than their male counterparts, and studies show they often struggle to build deep, influential working relationships. According to a 2025 report, an overwhelming 94% of women in SaaS said they’d faced gender discrimination at some point in their careers. A broader study reveals that 70% of women in tech feel constant pressure to prove themselves and work harder than male peers, particularly in leadership tracks within SaaS companies.
From my own experience, too, the figures are reflective of what is becoming an increasingly profound industry issue. I remember ten years or so ago, when I started my career as a software engineer in my hometown of Sarajevo, it felt the gender gap in tech, while still present, was finally beginning to close. Of course, that’s not to say working as a woman in SaaS wasn’t without its challenges, but I genuinely felt valued, respected and was able to advance quickly in my career. Today, from a global vantage point, the picture looks very different. If anything, I would argue that the gap is widening. As Head of AI at saas.group, I am fortunate to work in a company that is diverse and inclusive, with over a third (34%) of the group – far above the average – female. Yet in my role, which involves evaluating SaaS startups around the world, I see firsthand just how male-dominated the sector remains. Across development teams and leadership structures, men continue to occupy the majority of roles – particularly in areas that shape technology such as model design, data strategy and deployment. At any given meeting with an up-and-coming SaaS firm, chances are the overwhelming majority of the team will be male.
Why, you might ask, does this disparity exist – and why does it matter? While there is no single explanation, I believe much of the answer begins in the classroom. Despite the progress made, the number of women choosing to pursue STEM subjects remains depressingly low. Of course, there is an element of chicken and egg at play. How can young women and other underrepresented groups envision careers in tech, or SaaS in particular, when these industries appear overwhelmingly male? Conversely, when women do enter the field and encounter heavily male-dominated workplaces, those environments can reinforce feelings of exclusion, making retention and career progression even more difficult.
But the education system is only part of the story. There are also a lot more businesses, especially SaaS companies, that can help tackle the gender imbalance. From equitable hiring practices and mentorship programs to promoting inclusive workplace cultures and policies that support career advancement, there are a range of tools companies can use to create an environment where women and all underrepresented groups. Among these efforts, visible female role models are crucial for making a career in SaaS feel attainable. By placing more women in senior technical and leadership roles, creating opportunities for them to speak at industry events and sharing the stories of successful women in the field, companies can challenge entrenched norms and inspire the next generation to pursue careers in tech.
Onto the second question, and the reality is that closing the gender gap in SaaS is not only a moral imperative but a critical commercial one. Yes, we must break down barriers and create a fair and diverse tech economy where there is equal opportunity for all. But beyond that, research shows again and again that having a more diverse and inclusive workforce can help achieve a higher return on equity and better returns. This is because it can strengthen an organization’s intellectual capacity, breeding the ability to innovate and adapt in our fast-changing environment, with studies showing a critical mass of women in senior positions can have the maximum positive impact on a company’s performance.
This becomes especially important as we look to the evolving SaaS landscape, which is becoming increasingly AI-driven and will require a greater diversity of perspective than ever before. After all, if the future of SaaS is shaped almost exclusively by men, the AI built on those platforms will inevitably encode a narrower set of experiences, blind spots and inherent biases. The risk is that if we don’t start to close the gender gap now we could be left with products that are less fair, less innovative and, ultimately, less effective for half the population.
There is no doubt that the SaaS industry remains one of the most exciting, innovative and in-demand sectors in tech. But it will only reach its full potential if it is able to attract, develop and retain talent from the widest possible pool, rather than drawing disproportionately from a narrow, often male‑dominated segment of the workforce.
As the SaaS sector becomes ever more central to how businesses and societies operate, the choices made today will shape not only who builds these technologies but whose needs they ultimately serve. Failing to address gender imbalance risks embedding bias into the very foundations of SaaS and AI, limiting innovation and undermining the sector’s long-term potential. By committing to more inclusive hiring and progression practices, and increasing the visibility of diverse role models, the SaaS industry can begin to bridge the gender gap and build a future that is fairer, more innovative and truly tomorrow-ready.
