Differences in the occupational attainment patterns of men and women were investigated by using data from 12 industrial societies. The sample consisted of employed persons 20 to 64 years of age working full- or part-time in the United States, Australia, Denmark, Finland, West Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Israel, and Japan. Four determinants of occupational attainment were identified: father's occupations, age, marital status, and educational achievement. The dependent variable was the occupation of the respondent measured by the prestige and occupational wage rate scale. Use of the measure of wage rates of men's and women's jobs in regression analysis showed gender differences in the process of occupational allocation. Findings from cross-cultural analyses of occupational attainment showed that educational attainment is consistently the most important predictor of occupational positions for men and women. For men it is only one of several factors, but it is the only identified factor for women. Findings suggested that fundamental restructuring of ways in which work is organized will be required to equalize women's and men's occupational options. (YLB)