Equal Pay Day 2024

WGEA has announced the date for this year’s Equal Pay Day as 19 August, marking the 50 days into the new financial year that Australian women must work to earn the same, on average, as men did last year.

This year's theme is "it doesn't add up."

The national gender pay gap measures the difference between the average weekly full-time base salary earnings of women and men, expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. It is a measure of women’s overall position in the paid workforce and does not compare like roles.

Equal pay is the concept of women and men being paid the same for performing the same role or different work of equal or comparable value. In Australia, this has been a legal requirement since 1969. The gender pay gap is different to equal pay.

WGEA research has identified three main contributors to Australia’s gender pay gap:

• gender discrimination (36%)
• care, family responsibilities and workforce participation (33%),
• gender segregation by job type and industry (24%)

The Equal Pay Day campaign will run for 50 days, until Equal Pay Day on 19th August.

How is Equal Pay Day calculated?

WGEA uses the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) average weekly earnings trend data to calculate the number of days after the end of financial year that women have to work to be paid the same as the average man. This is called Equal Pay Day.

The February 2024 ABS reported average weekly earnings for men working full time was $1,982.80. Women earnt $1,744.80 per week on average. That’s a difference $238 every week and $12,376 every year. At the average rate of pay for women, this is the equivalent of over seven weeks additional work (50 days).

It’s important to note these figures are base salary and full-time employees only. They do not include bonuses, superannuation or overtime – which men are more likely to earn – or the salaries of Australians working part-time.