The public sector’s pay gap has been revealed, with women in public service earning, on average, 86 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2022.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) analysed the salaries of over 300,000 public servants across 116 employers.
Its latest report is the first time gender pay gaps within federal public service have been published.
It found women in the sector earned an average of $19,007 less than men for the year.
WGEA
The public sector includes anyone employed by government bodies like the Bureau of Meteorology, and departments such as Defence or Education.
New legislation required public sector employers with over 100 staff to submit workplace gender equality data to the WGEA from 2022.
It found the average pay for women in public service, including super, bonuses, and overtime was $121,435 compared to the male average of $140,442 in 2022.
Public sector pay gap
Of more than 338,000 employees in the public sector in 2022, 43.5% were women and 56.3% were men.
Men were two and a half times more likely to be among the sector’s highest earners.
The average gender pay gap for the sector was 13.5% compared to 21.7% in the private sector, including all remuneration.
The report also revealed 73% of women in public service were employed full-time, compared to 41% in the private sector.
Parental leave
The report showed a gender imbalance around carer’s leave. Men in the public service used 11% of all carer’s and parental leave taken in the sector in 2022.
WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge commended gender pay gap progress in the sector, but said “more does need“.
“Positive change takes thought and deliberate action… including to combat stereotypes that deter men from taking parental leave and around women in non-manager roles,” Wooldridge said.
Govt response
After a decade of similar WGEA reporting on the private sector, Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said it was time for the public sector to step up and shine “a light on” gender equality progress.
“The public sector should set a standard for promoting gender equality,” Gallagher said.
“We need to encourage stronger uptake of parental leave by men and part-time workers should not be overlooked for promotion,” she added.
