The latest taxation statistics released today by the ATO reveal that while the overall gender pay gap might be closing, when we examine the gap across occupations, women continue to earn less than men in almost all occupations.

The taxation statistics reveal the earnings each person makes in a financial year. The figure therefore gives an honest account of how much people actually earn for their labour. Because it is the total amount earned over a year, the amounts take into account those who may earn the same hourly rate but who work fewer hours.

The results are damning for gender pay.

Men had a higher average salary in 368 of the 383 occupation groups. This 96% result is the same as was the case in 2020-21.

The good news (such as it is) is that the gender pay gap improved in 59% of occupations, but it worsened in 41%.

The figures also show that higher-paid occupations are more likely to be male-dominated. Among the 77 highest-paid occupations, where the average salary was above $100,000, only 2 were jobs where women make up more than 60% of the workforce. By contrast 40 of the 70 lowest-paid occupations, where the average salary was less than $45,000, were jobs where women make up more than 60% of the workforce.

In every occupation that had an average salary above $100,000 men had a higher average salary than women, and in only 2 of the top 225 paying occupations did women have a higher average salary.

The disparity is made abundantly clear by the fact that in the most women-dominated occupation of midwifery, where women make up 99% of the workers, the average salary of women of $73,238 is some 19% below the average salary of men in that occupation of $90,232.

The figures highlight that women in all occupations – whether high or low-paid, earn on average less than men. They are less likely to get the same level of hours and are less likely to be in senior, higher-paying, roles within an occupation. And the figures once again highlight that work done primarily and historically by women is valued less than is work done mostly by men.

It reveals that while the overall gender pay gap might be closing there remains much to do to make work fairly and equitably paid and that women are provided the same opportunists to screed and earn as are men.