From "Sex, Race, and Ethnic Inequality in the United States Workplaces" by Barbara F. Reskin and Irene Padavic
Reskin and Padavic discuss trends in:

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The Answer is In the context of Reskin and Padavic's work, "hierarchical segregation" refers to the systematic and institutionalized practice of limiting certain groups of people, often based on their race, sex, or ethnicity, to lower status positions within the occupational hierarchy. This form of segregation is not just about separating different groups into different jobs, but also about placing them in a hierarchy where some jobs are considered superior and others inferior.

For example, women and people of color might be disproportionately represented in lower-paying jobs with fewer opportunities for advancement, while white males are more likely to hold higher-status, higher-paying jobs. This could be seen in industries such as technology, where white males dominate the higher-level positions, while women and people of color are often found in lower-level positions. Similarly, in the healthcare industry, white males are often overrepresented among doctors, while women and people of color are more likely to be nurses or aides. These are examples of hierarchical segregation, where not only are jobs segregated by race and sex, but there is also a clear hierarchy in terms of status and pay.
Hierarchical segregation implies that there is a vertical division of labor that aligns with social hierarchies. This means that even within the same industry or organization, people of different races, sexes, and ethnic backgrounds are not evenly distributed across the various levels of authority and responsibility. Instead, there is a tendency for minority groups to be underrepresented in leadership and high-status roles and overrepresented in lower-status positions.
Examples of hierarchical segregation include:
1. Corporate Leadership: White males are disproportionately represented in executive positions such as CEOs, CFOs, and board members, while women and minorities are less likely to hold these high-status jobs.
2. Academia: In many universities, there is a higher representation of white males as tenured professors and department heads, while women and minority faculty members are more often found in non-tenure-track positions or as assistant professors.
3. Healthcare: White males are more likely to be surgeons—a high-status and well-compensated specialty—while women and minorities are more commonly found in lower-status healthcare roles such as nursing or medical assistants.
4. Tech Industry: There is a notable underrepresentation of women and certain racial minorities in high-level engineering and technical roles, which are often the most prestigious and well-paid positions in the sector.
Reskin and Padavic argue that this hierarchical segregation is not simply a result of individual choices or qualifications but is also shaped by supply-side dynamics (such as socialization, education, and networks) and demand-side dynamics (such as employer preferences, discrimination, and institutional practices). These dynamics contribute to the perpetuation of occupational segregation and the resulting income disparities by race and sex. They suggest that to address these inequities, it is necessary to understand and change the structural factors that maintain hierarchical segregation in the workplace.