It pays to be a man in Australia: gender pay gap at every large employer exposed

For the first time, every non-government organisation with at least 100 staff is required by law to disclose the difference in men's and women's pay packets.

Nationally, the divide is 19 per cent in favour of men based on median total remuneration, which includes bonuses and overtime.

Over a year, the median of what a woman is paid is $18,461 less than the median for a man, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has found.

The majority of the nearly 5000 reporting employers - 61.6 per cent - had a pay gap favouring men by more than five per cent.

Just 412, or 8.3 per cent, favoured women by more than five per cent.

While almost one third - 30.1 per cent - had a neutral gap.

The median pay gap is not the average.

It is the difference between the median, or midpoint, of what men are paid and the median of what women are paid within an organisation.

Every Australian industry has a pay gap skewed in favour of men, the WGEA data released on February 27 shows.

The largest individual divide across Australia is at a Newcastle health care provider, Hunter Primary Care, where the gap is a man-friendly 73.1 per cent.

"Our organisation's figure is skewed considerably due to the unique make up of our workforce," chief executive Brenda Ryan said in a statement.

"It also does not properly reflect Hunter Primary Care's commitment to gender pay equality."

Apart from a female CEO, three of Hunter Primary Care's five senior leadership positions are held by women.

"The report has provided us an opportunity to reflect on what we are currently doing well and where we can improve," Ms Ryan said.

The next biggest total remuneration gap favouring men nationwide is Energizer Australia at 64.9 per cent.

But male-dominated industries, such as construction (31.8 per cent) and mining (15.1 percent), have the largest male-friendly gender pay gap overall - as well as higher salaries.

Accommodation and food services (1.9 per cent), health care and education and training (5.2 per cent) - which are driven by women - have the lowest pay rates and the smallest gender pay gap.

Some employers are bucking the trend.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has a base salary pay gap of 79.3 per cent in favour of women and a total remuneration gap of 82.7 per cent, also in favour of women.

"We've been able to promote a number of women from within the HIA into quite senior positions," managing director Jocelyn Martin told ACM.

"For an industry that tends to be fairly male-dominated, to have some women who are professionally from the construction industry able to move into senior positions around the country has been really important to us."

A transparent pay negotiation process and a 1000-strong apprentice team of mainly young males on lower wages helps explain the peak industry body's results.

"Best person for the job at the end of the day but, as I say, we've been able to grow these people through the organisation and that's what we're all most proud of," Ms Martin said.

Other employers have a pay gap tipped even further in favour of women.

Adelaide not-for-profit disability support provider Barkuma reported a 502 per cent base salary pay gap.

And Perth-based Workpower Incorporated, which also provides disability services, has a 256.2 per cent total package pay gap.

The WGEA hopes forcing individual employers to record their pay gaps publicly will help narrow the chasm between men's and women's earnings.

"The evidence [overseas] is that it has led to a reduction in gender pay gaps," WGEA chief Mary Wooldridge said.

"It's not a silver bullet. It hasn't been a massive drop, but that the drop has also been sustained."

Transparency could also be a conversation starter for staff, particularly prospective employees.

"This is transparency and accountability that is actually beneficial to employees, to the community, and to the nation as a whole because gender equality is beneficial on all of those those levels," Ms Wooldridge said.

"Employers can choose how they respond in relation to the publishing of this information.

"We're not requiring them to do anything if they don't choose to do. But I think they fail to act on gender equality at their peril."

Virtually all mining companies (95 per cent) have pay gaps in favour of men, while 92 per cent of electricity, water, gas and waste services have pay gaps favouring men.

The figure for financial and insurance services is 90 per cent.

Major airlines have significant gender pay gaps.

Jetstar has a total remuneration gap of 43.7 per cent in favour of men, while Qantas came in at 37 per cent, and Virgin Australia is 41.7 per cent.

Media and telecommunication companies also have pay gaps skewed in favour of men.

Nine Entertainment reported a total remuneration gap of 10.1 per cent, Seven West Media was 13.8 per cent, Telstra was 20.2 per cent, and Google Australia came in at 14.9 per cent.

But Facebook Australia has a total remuneration pay gap of 2.6 per cent in favour of women.

The Collingwood Football Club has a total remuneration pay gap of 44 per cent.

But the Sydney Swans had a 4.3 per cent total package pay gap in favour of women.

The AFL, overall, reported no gender pay gap, as did Football Australia.

But the NRL has a 3.9 per cent total remuneration gap in favour of men, while Rugby Australia reported a gap of 31.2 per cent, also in favour of men.

The commonly-cited gender pay gap based on average earnings by full-time workers, published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), is at a record low of 12 per cent.

The ABS statistics showed a stronger growth in average full-time earnings for women compared with men.

"The gender pay gap is a persistent and complex problem that costs the Australian economy $51.8 billion every year," Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said of the WGEA reporting.

"Transparency and accountability are critical for driving change."