Three in four Australian companies pay men more than women on average, with women earning $28,425 less a year.
An annual data breakdown from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) shows men earn more, on average, across all industries.
CEO salaries have been included in the annual data for the first time.
How to interpret
Businesses with more than 100 employees have legally required to publish their gender pay gap since 2024.
The first tranche of data, released last year, showed the ‘median’ (middle) pay gap. The annual publication now includes the average remuneration of CEOs, heads of businesses, and casual managers, which were previously excluded.
Overall, the data now shows the difference between men and women at a company. It does not mean paying men and women differently for the same job, which is unlawful.
Findings
The WGEA said a pay gap between -5% to +5% accounts for normal changes at workplaces. This is what the agency calls the “target range”.
One fifth of companies in Australia fell within the target range. 6.5% had a gender pay gap that favoured women, while 72% favoured men.
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TDA analysis found Australia’s average gender pay gap was 13%. The WGEA uses a ‘median’ figure – the middle number when data is ordered from lowest to highest – to filter out extremes.
Companies
Here are some of the companies with more than 250 staff and the highest pay gaps:
Response
WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge said publishing regular pay gap data is a “catalyst” for employers to act.
Wooldridge added workplace equality has benefits for all workers.
For women, benefits could include workplaces “redesigning” senior roles to accommodate more women on a “job share” or “part time” basis.
For men, Wooldridge said “paid parental leave, paying superannuation on that leave” could create “a more equal experience”.
