What would you do with an extra $28,425?

For every $1 a man earns, women earn 78 cents on average. This adds up to a yearly difference of $28,425. It’s a hard number for us to look at, and with the release of the 2023-24 Employer Gender Pay Gaps Report by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), Australia is shedding light on the persistent gender pay disparities across the country.

With data from 7,800 private sector employers and 1,700 corporate groups, this report provides a benchmark for companies to drive change. For women in digital and tech industries, these insights are crucial to understanding where the sector stands and what actions are needed to close the gap.

Understanding the Gender Pay Gap

The gender pay gap represents the difference in average remuneration between men and women, expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. It is not the same as equal pay, which ensures men and women are paid equally for the same work. The gender pay gap, however, reflects broader disparities in workforce composition, career progression, and barriers to leadership roles.

Key Data Points from the Report

• Half of employers have an average total remuneration gender pay gap larger than 12.1%.
• The median gender pay gap stands at 8.9%, reflecting a 0.2 percentage point reduction from the previous year.
• 72.2% of employers have a gender pay gap favoring men, while only 6.5% favor women.
• 15.3% of employers are achieving gender pay parity, maintaining a pay gap within the target range (-5% to +5%).
• 68% of employers conducted a gender pay gap analysis, a critical first step in identifying and addressing inequalities.

Tech and Digital Industries: Where Do We Stand?

Tech and digital industries continue to grapple with gender disparities, particularly in leadership roles and high-paying positions:

• Men are 1.9 times more likely to be in the highest pay bracket.
• Women are 1.5 times more likely to be in the lowest remuneration quartile.
• The highest pay quartile earns 3.7 times more than the lowest quartile, reinforcing income inequality.

Industry Comparisons and Challenges

Industries with higher male representation in leadership tend to have larger pay gaps. For instance, construction has an average pay gap of 25.3%, while education has a lower pay gap at 9.1%. In tech, a key challenge remains the underrepresentation of women in senior roles and high-growth areas such as cybersecurity, cloud, and AI.

“We need to ensure that organisations have active strategies in place to remove barriers and build equal pathways to well paid roles. With this increased data transparency and peer-to-peer benchmarking, there is no longer an excuse.

Organisations like Lorna Jane have demonstrated leadership in transforming their gender pay gap from 37.1% remuneration gap down to 2.9% in 12 months. This shows that tangible change in a short space of time is truly possible”
– Holly Hunt, Founder and CEO of Women in Digital

What Needs to Happen Next?

For employers in digital and tech, this report serves as a call to action.

Conduct Gender Pay Gap Analyses

Only 68% of employers have conducted a gender pay gap analysis, despite strong evidence that transparency leads to better outcomes. While the WGEA mandate requires companies with 100+ employees to report on gender pay equity, businesses of all sizes should proactively assess their data.

Companies with clear pathways to promotion and structured remuneration growth for all genders see higher retention rates, improved performance, and stronger financial returns. Identifying pay gaps is the first step toward meaningful change. Commercially, it just makes sense to attract, retain, and grow all employees equally.

Increase Female Representation in Leadership

Women are underrepresented in high-paying tech leadership roles, and for many reasons. The time when women move into leadership often coincides with increased caregiving responsibilities, impacting career progression. Employers can take action by:

• Ensuring flexible work arrangements support career growth without sacrificing work-life balance
• Providing equal-access parental leave for both men and women to foster shared caregiving responsibilities.
• Implementing structured leadership development programs that actively support women’s career progression in tech.

Address Workplace Bias

Unconscious bias impacts hiring, promotions, and salary negotiations, widening the pay gap. To address this, companies should:

• Implement structured pay transparency to ensure salary decisions are equitable.
• Audit promotion pathways to identify and remove systemic barriers.
• Train hiring managers to recognize and mitigate bias in recruitment and performance evaluations.

Enhance Workplace Policies

Parental leave, flexible work arrangements, and structured return-to-work programs play a crucial role in retaining women in tech careers. Companies leading in gender equity invest in:

• Comprehensive parental leave policies that encourage career continuity.
• Flexible return-to-work programs that ease transitions back into the workforce.
• Sponsorship and mentorship initiatives to support women’s leadership progression.

Benchmark Against the Industry

Employers should leverage WGEA’s Data Explorer to compare their performance and set clear targets for improvement. Industry benchmarking allows organisations to measure themselves against peers. If other companies in the same sector have a lower pay gap, it’s worth asking why. Taking proactive steps to close the gap is not just an ethical decision, it’s a strategic advantage.

Final Thoughts

While progress is being made, the gender pay gap in tech remains a significant challenge. As individuals, advocating for pay transparency and career progression is key. As organisations, implementing structured policies and fostering a culture of equity and inclusion will drive meaningful change.

For women in digital and tech, now is the time to leverage these insights, advocate for fair pay, and push for systemic industry-wide transformation.

You can download a copy of the Employer Gender Pay Gaps report here.