The pay gap between men and women is particularly pronounced in the financial and insurance services industry, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s second annual pay scorecard.

It remains the industry with the highest pay gaps in base salary (27.3%) and total remuneration (35%).

In insurance, the gap in total remuneration (including bonuses, allowances and super) improved by more than the overall average – at 1.1 point – but that is as good as the news got for women.

Across the economy, the pay gap between men and women working full-time improved just 0.7 percentage points to 24% in 2014/15.

It equates to a difference of $27,254 in average remuneration.

By sector, general insurance has a 29.2% total remuneration gender pay gap, despite women comprising 57.3% of the workforce.

The gap remains 29.2% across different segments in the insurance industry, including insurance and super funds, health and general insurance, and health insurance.

Women make up an even bigger proportion of the workforce in those segments – 58.1%, 59.4% and 69% respectively – proving there is not always strength in numbers.