The gender pay hole at Australia’s main airways is round double the nationwide common, new information from the Office Gender Equality Company (WGEA) has discovered.
Qantas’ common gender pay hole for 2024-25 was 41.7 per cent for complete pay, in comparison with 44.8 per cent at Virgin, with a median hole of 35.7 per cent and 35.34 per cent respectively. Throughout the entire Australian personal sector, ladies obtain on common 21.1 per cent much less in complete pay than males.
This content material is obtainable solely to Australian Aviation members.
To proceed studying the remainder of this text, please login.
To unlock all Australian Aviation journal content material and once more limitless entry to our every day information and options, change into a member immediately!
A month-to-month membership is simply $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
See advantages
Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
Entry to In Focus studies each month on our web site
MOST POPULAR
PRINT + DIGITAL
See advantages
Limitless entry to all Australian Aviation digital content material
Entry to the Australian Aviation app
Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
Entry to In Focus studies each month on our web site
Entry to our Behind the Lens picture galleries and different unique content material
Each day information updates by way of our electronic mail bulletin
DIGITAL
See advantages
Limitless entry to all Australian Aviation digital content material
Entry to the Australian Aviation app
Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
Entry to In Focus studies each month on our web site
Entry to our Behind the Lens picture galleries and different unique content material
Each day information updates by way of our electronic mail bulletin
The result’s a barely wider median pay hole at Qantas than in 2023-24, and a narrower one at Virgin. Jetstar’s median pay hole was roughly consistent with final yr’s, at 41.7 per cent.
Whereas it’s unlawful to pay ladies lower than males for a similar work, the WGEA says that the pay hole is essentially pushed by males being extra prevalent in higher-paying roles, which in aviation would come with pilots and engineers, and ladies in lower-paid roles like cabin crew and customer support.
“The truth that males are practically twice as doubtless as ladies to be within the highest paid roles and that ladies nonetheless dominate the bottom paid roles ought to provide a actuality test for anybody who thinks Australia has achieved equality within the office,” mentioned WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge.
“Ladies and men need a truthful and equal alternative to make use of their full vary of expertise and capabilities, maintain probably the most senior and highest paying roles, really feel protected at work and have some flexibility to handle different obligations, similar to caring, exterior of labor.
“Progress on gender equality advantages employees, households, employers and the Australian economic system as a complete.”
Round 92.4 per cent of pilots and 95 per cent of engineers at Qantas are male, in comparison with 77.7 per cent of feminine airport customer support workers and 70.8 per cent of cabin crew.
In Qantas’ annual pay hole report, chief folks officer Catherine Walsh pressured that Qantas does pay women and men equally for a similar work, and that “the actual problem is illustration”.
“78 per cent of our individuals are paid in accordance with enterprise agreements, which standardise pay no matter gender. For company workers not coated by agreements, the like-for-like pay hole is 1.2 per cent – no change from final yr,” she mentioned.
“The widening this yr was predominantly pushed by backdated earnings from earlier reporting durations, together with Cabin Crew and engineering enterprise settlement finalisation, and delayed Government bonus funds.
“Males maintain 92.4 per cent of pilot positions and 95 per cent of engineering roles. These patterns exist throughout international aviation, and shifting them means constructing a pipeline of feminine expertise in areas the place ladies have traditionally been nearly solely absent. That takes time, however we’re seeing it occur.”
Virgin Australia in its report has additionally pointed to its “demographic profile” as a key driver for its personal gender pay hole.
“Whereas there may be an enchancment within the median hole from 2025, we proceed to have a bigger proportion of males occupying increased paying roles, similar to pilots and plane engineers. Gender illustration targets and supporting initiatives are in place to proceed to shift our demographic profile over time,” the airline mentioned.
“Virgin Australia has skilled vital workforce development over current years, with headcount growing from 3,000 to greater than 8,300. This development has been concentrated in customer-facing operational roles, together with Cabin Crew and Visitor Companies, the place feminine illustration is increased.
“As well as, remuneration for our frontline groups is aligned with pay classifications which are reflective of expertise and crew members will progress to increased paying classifications over time with profession improvement and seniority.
“This ends in a bigger proportion of individuals in direction of the higher finish of the pay classification construction in workgroups with excessive numbers of lengthy serving workers, similar to our pilots and engineers.”
Each Qantas Group and Virgin say they’re working to extend the proportion of feminine workers in key roles, together with pilots, engineers, and management.
