Women Earn $1m less than men & $136,000 Less in Super over Working Life

New research released on International Women’s Day reveals Australian women earn $1.01m less over their working lives than men, based on median income data. Women earn $136,000 less in superannuation over their working lives than men, based on median income data. Women earning the median wage wil...

New research released on International Women’s Day reveals Australian women earn $1.01m less over their working lives than men, based on median income data.

Women earn $136,000 less in superannuation over their working lives than men, based on median income data. Women earning the median wage will accumulate approximately $393,676 in super, $151,000 below what is considered a ‘comfortable retirement’.

Key Points:

  • Australian women on a median income will earn $1.01m less over their working lives on average than their male counterparts
  • Australian women on a median income will earn $136,000 less in superannuation over their working lives than their male counterparts
  • The gender pay gap is narrowing so slowly that it will not fully close for another 30 years until 2053
  • The Gender wage gap in Australia (15.3%) is more than double what it is in New Zealand (6.7%)
  • Men have higher average salaries than women in 95% of all occupations

“For the average woman in Australia, the gender pay gap will be more than $1.01m over her working life, based on conservative estimates,” said Senior Economist Eliza Littleton from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work.


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