Yes, a gender pay gap exists in Australia, with men generally earning more than women, though figures vary by data source, with recent WGEA data showing women earning around 79 cents for every dollar men make (21.1% gap for total remuneration), while ABS data for full-time base salary shows a smaller gap (11.5%), but in nearly all jobs, men earn more than women. This gap reflects factors like industry segregation, career interruptions for care, and workplace bias, with the gap widening when part-time work and bonuses are included.
Australia's total remuneration gender pay gap over time
The Average GPG including CEO/HOB pay was first reported in 2023–24 at 21.8%, then slightly decreased to 21.1% in 2024–25. The Median GPG was first reported in 2020–21 at 21.1%, then declined each year to 16.4% in 2024–25.
Coles Group owns Coles supermarkets among other Australian businesses — and has the lowest average total remuneration gender pay gap of all the companies on this list. Women employed by Coles Group are receive 6 per cent less than men in total annual compensation.
Highest Gap in OECD: South Korea at 31.2%. Lowest Gap in OECD: Belgium has the most equal pay at 1.1%. Lowest Gap in EU: Luxembourg at -0.7%. Highest Gap in Europe: Estonia reports a significant gender pay gap, with women earning substantially less than men.
In fact, it could take roughly five generations to close the pay gap worldwide, according to 2024 estimates by the World Economic Forum. "Based on current data, it will take 134 years to reach full parity," the organization's latest global gender gap report said.
The ABS data gender pay gap
As of May 2025, the full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings across all industries and occupations was $2106.40 for men and $1864.10 for women. For every dollar on average men earned, women earned 88 cents. That's $242.30 less than men each week.
Global Gender Gap Report 2025
Iceland has once more been crowned as the most gender-equal country in the world. This is according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2025, released earlier this month.
The World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report has seen Australia rise 11 places in the global rankings to 13th out of 148 countries for gender equality, the highest ever ranking since the Index began in 2006.
The gender pay gap is widest for Black and Hispanic women
Women of color are hit the hardest by the gender pay gap. On average, Black women working full time, year-round earned 67 percent as much as white, non-Hispanic men in 2023.
Finland, along with neighbours Sweden and Norway, has one of the strongest global reputations for gender equality. The Scandinavian country's government uses a systematic and target-oriented approach to tackle sexism, and has its own Gender Inequality Policy.
A $75k salary in Australia is decent, above the median income for many age groups and allowing for comfortable living in regional areas, but it can be tight in expensive cities like Sydney or Melbourne, especially for families, with many feeling $100k is needed for stability, though it's a strong starting point for younger professionals. After tax, $75k becomes roughly $58.6k ($4,888/month), meaning lifestyle, location, and financial goals (like saving for a house) heavily influence whether it's considered "good".
Yes, $50 an hour ($98,800/year) is a very good wage in Australia, placing you well above the national average full-time salary (around $98,000-$100,000 annually) and offering a strong income for comfortable living, often found in skilled trades (electricians, plumbers, builders), tech, healthcare, and some specialized roles, notes Jora and The Migration.
In 2019–20, the female dominated occupations with the highest proportion of women remain unchanged over the last decade:
Australia's Gender Equality Scorecard for 2024-25 reveals an above trend 0.7 percentage point (pp) drop in the gender pay gap to 21.1%, down from 21.8% last year. It means that for every $1 men earn, women earn, on average, 78.9 cents. This adds up to $28,356 in a year.
ATO data reveals huge gender pay gap for teachers – even in a female-dominated profession. Teaching is one of Australia's most female-dominated professions but tax office data exposes a shocking gender pay gap – both in the classroom and the principal's office.
Higher wages for women
On average, the wages of women represented by a union are 9.8% higher than those of nonunionized women with comparable characteristics (EPI 2025c). Further, there is suggestive evidence that within workplaces, union bargaining reduces gender wage gaps.
40:40:20 simply refers to the ratio of: 40% men, 40% women, 20% of any gender. It's a business practice that many organisations around the world have or are committing to, striving for gender equity not only at the top level, but across all levels of its business.
Taking big data directly from official UK sources, the table below compares the gender pay gap by job.
Careers with the highest concentration of women workers include teachers, childcare workers, and healthcare professionals. When choosing the best career, it's important women consider their interests, strengths, and goals in and out of the workplace.
The countries that take women's rights seriously
The biggest human rights issues in Australia center on the systemic discrimination and poorer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, reflected in overrepresentation in prisons, lack of constitutional recognition, and disparities in health/justice, alongside significant concerns for asylum seekers/refugees (offshore detention, indefinite detention) and widespread gender-based violence, with intersecting issues for people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and climate impact.
As of June 2024, about 13.69 million females and 13.5 million males lived in Australia.
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