Measure 3.1 Mean total remuneration gender pay gap by occupation group (critical)
| What does this measure show? | This measure uses workforce data to compare the ‘mean’ or average total remuneration for men (i.e. including base salary, plus all additional payments, including superannuation), with the average total remuneration for women and people of self-described gender within a particular occupation group (e.g. technicians and trades workers, community and personal service workers). |
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| How is it calculated? |
Here’s an example calculation:
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| Why is this important? | In 2021 and 2023, every Victorian public sector occupation had a pay gap in favour of men - including occupations that were majority-women. These gaps often reflect outdated gender stereotypes or assumptions about what types of work are ‘suitable’ for women or men. When women are over-represented in lower-paid roles, or under-represented in leadership, it’s often due to bias – not capability. Looking at your organisation’s gender pay gaps by occupation can give you important clues. Use this information to guide where you start when promoting greater gender equality and addressing disadvantage. |
| Additional questions | Use these prompts to consider this measure alongside other relevant data. Compare the pay gap for each occupation with the overall pay gap in your organisation. Are there occupations where the pay gap is particularly large? Compare the different types of pay gap calculations to help identify the root cause. Is the pay gap larger when you look at base salary or total remuneration? This can show if things like overtime, bonuses, or special allowances are mostly going to one gender. Is the pay gap larger when you look at the mean (average) or the median (middle value)? The mean can be affected by a few very high or low salaries. A large mean gap may mean that a small number of people of a certain gender are earning much more or much less than others. If you have the data, look at how gender intersects with other factors, like cultural identity or disability status. Do you see different trends for groups facing intersecting inequalities? |
| Other measures to consider | Consider this measure alongside:
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Measure 3.2 Mean total remuneration senior leader gender pay gap (critical)
| What does this measure show? | This measure uses workforce data to compare the ‘mean’ or average total remuneration for men in senior leadership with the average total remuneration for women and people of self-described gender in senior leadership. |
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| How is it calculated? |
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| Why is this important? | A gender pay gap in senior leadership often points to deeper issues. This might include bias in recruitment, limited promotion pathways, or outdated ideas about who belongs in top roles. Women are still less likely to reach senior positions, and when they do, they’re often paid less. Even in workplaces covered by Awards or Enterprise Agreements, gender pay gaps often emerge through bonuses or allowances. Men are also more likely to benefit from salary negotiations. This is not because women aren’t capable negotiators. It’s because of persistent biases that reward assertiveness differently depending on who’s asking. Closing the total remuneration gap in senior leadership is a key indicator of your commitment to gender equality and helps attract and retain top talent. |
| Additional questions | Use these prompts to consider this measure alongside other relevant data. Look at the pay gap for senior leaders and compare it to the overall mean total remuneration pay gap in your organisation. Is the pay gap larger among senior leaders than in the broader workforce? Consider using your audit data to calculate the mean base salary pay gap for senior leaders as well. Is the gender pay gap bigger for base salary or total remuneration? This can help you understand whether additional payments, like bonuses or special allowances, are benefiting one gender more than others. If you have the data, look at how gender intersects with other factors, like cultural identity or disability status. Do you see different trends for groups facing intersecting inequalities? |
| Other measures to consider | Consider this measure alongside:
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Measure 3.3 Mean base salary gender pay gap (supplementary)
| What does this measure show? | This measure uses workforce data to compare the ‘mean’ or average base salary for men with average base salary for women and people of self-described gender. |
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| How is it calculated? |
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| Why is this important? | A gap in the mean base salary is about more than people of different genders being paid differently for the same, or similar, roles (although this is still common). It reflects the combined impact of gender bias and disadvantage over time. This can include:
These factors create long-term pay gaps that limit women’s financial security and career progression. Addressing this gap visibly and transparently is about fairness, and it’s also good for business. That's because pay equity builds trust, boosts morale, and helps attract and keep diverse talent. Tracking this measure over time, alongside pay gaps by occupation (Measure 3.1) and among senior leaders (Measure 3.2), helps uncover where deeper issues may exist, and where change is most needed. |
| Additional questions | Use these prompts to consider this measure alongside other relevant data. Use the ‘level’ classification in your audit data to calculate the pay gap at different levels of your organisation. You might consider grouping levels together to get a broader picture. How do pay gaps differ between classification levels? If you have the data, look at how gender intersects with other factors, like cultural identity or disability status. Do you see different trends for groups facing intersecting inequalities? See measure 3.1 for further advice that also applies to this measure. |
| Other measures to consider | Consider this measure alongside:
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Measure 3.4 Median total remuneration gender pay gap (supplementary)
| What does this measure show? | This measure uses workforce data to compare the median (i.e. the middle value) total remuneration for men with the median remuneration for women and people of self-described gender. |
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| How is it calculated? |
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| Why is this important? | Even if base salaries appear equal, gaps often appear in the ‘extras’ that significantly affect overall earnings. This measure gives you a fuller picture of pay equity by looking at total remuneration. That is, base salary plus overtime pay, bonuses, allowances, and other financial benefits including superannuation. Bonuses and overtime often appear neutral. However, who gets access to them can depend on role design, manager discretion, or assumptions around availability to ‘go the extra mile’. If your median total remuneration gap is a lot larger than your median base salary gap (Measure 3.5), then this might indicate gendered barriers. Use these two measures together to track pay equity more accurately. This can help you address systemic issues and take action. For example, you might find that some employees don't have equal access to additional remuneration. |
| Additional questions | This measure is best understood as part of a broader analysis. See measures 3.1 and 3.3 for advice that also applies to this measure. |
| Other measures to consider | Consider this measure alongside:
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Measure 3.5 Median base salary gender pay gap (supplementary)
| What does this measure show? | This measure uses workforce data to compare the median (i.e. the middle value) base salary for men with the median base salary for women and people of self-described gender. |
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| How is it calculated? |
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| Why is this important? | This measure looks at the median base salary (i.e. the middle point in your salary data), which gives a useful picture of what a ‘typical’ employee earns. Unlike the mean (average), the median isn’t distorted by the highest and the lowest salaries. That makes it especially helpful for understanding pay equity in organisations with a wide range of salaries, or a small number of very high (or low) earners. Used together with the mean base salary gender pay gap (Measure 3.3), this measure helps you get a more complete view of pay equity in your organisation. |
| Additional questions | This measure is best understood as part of a broader analysis. See measures 3.1 and 3.3 for advice that also applies to this measure. |
| Other measures to consider | Consider this measure alongside:
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