New research from HR and payroll software provider Ciphr found striking gender pay disparities in UK occupations predominantly held by women.
The analysis, based on the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, reveals that 70 percent of female-dominated jobs – where over 60 percent of workers are women – have gender pay gaps in favour of men.
In 2024, only 3 percent of these roles report no gender pay gap, while 27 percent show gaps that favour women. For many occupations, the disparity is stark. Among jobs with large numbers of workers and median gender pay gaps exceeding 10 percent are office managers, solicitors, marketing and commercial managers, and financial accounts managers. Combined, these roles are held by approximately 380,700 women compared to 206,800 men, with pay gaps ranging from 13.4 percent to 18.4 percent in favour of male employees.
Overall, three-quarters of all UK occupations show gender pay gaps in 2024. This trend persists across most male-dominated roles (82%) and gender-balanced professions (85%).
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Gender Pay Gaps in Female-Dominated Professions
Some female-dominated occupations with significant pay gaps include roles such as care managers, educational professionals, and health professionals. Residential, day, and domiciliary care managers face a gender pay gap of 14.8 percent, while other educational professionals experience a 14.4 percent disparity. Even in roles like office administration, where 78 percent of workers are women, a 4.7 percent pay gap persists.
The study also revealed gaps in other fields, including marketing (13.6%), legal professions (13.4%), and public relations (10.7%). For nurse practitioners, a gender pay gap of 6.9 percent remains despite the profession being predominantly female.
Claire Williams, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, says, “The UK’s stubbornly high, double-digit (13.1%) gender pay gap reflects systemic issues that cannot be ignored. It’s not just a matter of fairness – it’s a matter of equity, engagement, and trust in the workplace. Employers must do more to uncover and address the root causes of these disparities, from recruitment practices to career progression and salary review processes.”
Public Perception Gaps
While some of these hourly pay differences may seem small, over time they will negatively affect women’s lifetime earnings and retirement savings.
This contrasts sharply with public perception, with a recent survey showing that only 8 percent of UK employees surveyed said they believe their job has a gender pay gap in favour of men. This may be partly due to the widespread reticence among British workers to discuss their salaries. According to a recent NatWest survey, over a fifth of Brits (21%) admitted that they don’t share how much they earn with anyone. Younger generations, however, were found to be more willing to discuss their earnings.
Williams added, “Even organisations that don’t yet meet the threshold to report on their gender pay gap should conduct annual gender pay gap and DEIB reports. This ensures they have an in-depth understanding of any gaps and know where they need to focus efforts to improve them as a priority. By taking concrete, measurable actions, employers can begin to close the gap and create a workplace that truly values and rewards talent equally, regardless of gender.”
