Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to analyse determinants of occupational allocation by gender, in Russia, between 1994 and 2001, using the only available nationally representative longitudinal survey (RLMS).

Design/methodology/approach
– Multinomial logit was chosen as the estimation technique for this analysis.

Findings
– It was found that gender significantly affects occupational distribution after controlling for human capital and other characteristics during all years. Educational attainment was significant for professionals and technicians/associate professionals, while work experience was significant for craft and plant workers. Marital status did not affect females' occupational allocation while married males were less likely to be unskilled and craft workers. It appears that women performed primarily non‐geographically dependent jobs and the significance of regional variation for females' employment diminished over time. A comparison of the actual and predicted females' occupation distribution revealed a large over‐representation of females in unskilled occupations.

Originality/value
– The paper makes an original contribution to our understanding of occupational distribution by demonstrating that occupational segregation by gender is a large and economically significant factor in the Russian labour market, even after controlling for individuals' human capital and personal characteristics and for regional variations. The paper illustrates the extent of this segregation by comparing the actual occupational distribution of females to that which would occur if they faced the same structure of occupational determination as males, i.e. in the absence of discrimination and differences in tastes.