The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has published gender pay gap results for 10,500 Australian employers today.
Nearly 5.9 million Australian workers can use WGEA's Data Explorer to access their employer's gender pay gap. The gender composition and average pay of high earners and low earners in their workplace is also available.
For the first time, Commonwealth public sector employer gender pay gaps have been released at the same time as the private sector.
WGEA's analysis of the results, published today in the Employer Gender Pay Gaps Report, finds more employer gender pay gaps are smaller today than they were a year ago.
The number of employers with a gender pay gap in the target range has increased.
WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge said the publication of employer gender pay gaps has motivated employers to act on gender equality after progress had previously stalled.
"Many employers have told us publishing their information has helped them prioritise fairness and equality and led to deeper engagement from the C-Suite and Board," Ms Wooldridge said.
"Results since 2024 show more employers now analyse how managers recruit employees, decide their pay and performance bonuses and determine promotions. Many are also looking past composition and pay to examine women and men's different experiences of access to parental leave, flexible working arrangements or safety in the workplace."
While many employers should be celebrating progress, Ms Wooldridge said there is more work to do to ensure Australian workplaces are truly gender-equal.
More than 50% of employers have a gender pay gap larger than 11.2% in favour of men.
Employers in high-paying and men-dominated industries were more likely to have the largest gaps.
"The fact that men are nearly twice as likely as women to be in the highest paid roles and that women still dominate the lowest paid roles should offer a reality check for anyone who thinks Australia has achieved equality in the workplace," Ms Wooldridge said.
Large differences in discretionary payments, like performances bonuses and overtime hours, remain a key driver of many employer gender pay gaps.
"Employers should treat gender equality like their other business goals. Do a detailed analysis to find the issues, create an action plan to address them and set targets to be accountable for ensuring progress happens," Ms Wooldridge said.
"Publishing employer gender pay gaps is part of a suite of WGEA reforms designed to accelerate positive change. Shortly, large employers will select and commit to achieve 3 Gender Equality Targets over the next 3 years, in a world-first initiative requiring demonstrated improvement in outcomes.
"Women and men want a fair and equal opportunity to use their full range of skills and capabilities, hold the most senior and highest paying roles, feel safe at work and have some flexibility to manage other responsibilities, such as caring, outside of work.
"Progress on gender equality benefits workers, families, employers and the Australian economy as a whole."
Employer results: what's been achieved?
in the past year, broad collective action by employers has seen the size of employer gender pay gaps reduce. WGEA's analysis shows half of employers have an average total remuneration gender pay gap smaller than 11.2% (down 0.9pp)
more employers have a gender pay gap in the target range of +/-5% (22.5%, up from 21.4% in 2023-24)
there's more women in high-paid roles (up 1pp), but men are still 1.8x more likely than women to be in the upper quartile of earners on an average salary of $221,000. On the other hand, women are 1.4x more likely than men to be in the lowest quartile of earners (down 1pp) on an average salary of about $60,000 a year
more employers each year are conducting a gender pay gap analysis and consulting their employees on gender equality to inform their decisions around improving performance.
Read the full report and find the full list of employer results on the WGEA website.
