The most recent Employment & Remuneration Survey of The AusIMM shows that at senior management level males are earning almost 25% more than their female counterparts, with an annual average base salary of $201,992, compared with $154,846.
“Controlling for hours worked, males still earn more per hour than women at almost every level,” said Monika Sarder, Senior Policy and Research Coordinator at The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
“The only exception to this is at graduate level, where women are paid slightly more. This may be due to companies wishing to increase gender diversity by seeking to entice female graduates with higher salaries.”
“However once professionals progress through to more experienced levels, an escalating pay gap emerges, ranging from 5% difference per hour for a young professional at Level 2 to 20% per hour for a senior manager at Level 5.”
“It is clear that encouraging gender diversity is about more than just increasing the number of young women professionals getting through the door.”
The results of the gender pay gap were presented at the annual Congress of The AusIMM in Brisbane last month. Addressing possible systemic barriers to recognition and promotion of female professionals in the sector has been identified as a priority for the institute in the coming year.
”The AusIMM will do all it can to enhance the role and participation of female professionals in the industry” said Peter McCarthy, the President of the AusIMM. In the current climate of skills shortage, increasing female participation rates in the minerals sector has become a priority for industry. Without the capability to attract and retain women, the industry is effectively missing out on one half of the working population.
The most recent ABS statistics have shown that women account for only 18% of the mining workforce, compared with 45% of the total workforce. “It is great to see that increasingly companies, and industry bodies are starting to take a closer look at barriers to womens’ participation and advancement in the minerals sector,” said Ms Sarder.