Australia still has a “sizeable and pervasive” gender pay gap, the workplace equality agency says.

A poll of more than 7400 private sector employers found a gap of 21.8%, which equates to women earning 78c for every dollar men earn and an average of $28,425 less each year.  

Every occupation and industry has a gender pay gap in favour of men, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency research found. 

Industries with the highest pay rates have the largest gaps, and financial and insurance services is one of only three sectors in which 90% or more employers have a gap.

The total remuneration gender pay gap is down from 28.6% a decade ago. It has fallen 0.6 percentage points since the last survey, WGEA says, helped by an increase in the wages of low-paid workers, particularly in residential aged care where women make up about 80% of employees.

About 56% of employers have improved their gaps over the past year.

WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge says change is happening, with a significant increase in employers investigating what’s driving their gaps and acting on the findings. 

“But the national results show a persistent and pervasive gender pay gap still limits the lifetime earnings of Australian women, affecting their ability to save, invest and build long-term financial security for themselves and their families,” she said.

A quarter of boards have no women, and in male-dominated industries this jumps to 41%.  

The agency will publish gender pay gap scorecards by employer early next year.