PM&C is committed to achieving gender equity which includes ensuring our staff receive equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender. To review whether the Department is meeting this commitment, we undertake annual analysis of gendered remuneration. This data is consistent with the outcomes of the APS Remuneration Survey which is the source of data for the APS Remuneration Report, an annual snapshot of remuneration across the Australian Public Service.
Our most recent analysis, as at December 2022, shows that PM&C continues to have no, or negligible, gender pay gap at the majority of classification levels. This indicates that women and men undertaking work of similar value are remunerated relatively equally. (Figure 1 and Table 1). For example, at the SES B1 level, the gender pay gap is 2.5%, meaning men are paid slightly more than women.
Figure 1 – PM&C gender pay gap by substantive classification – December 2022*
* The gender pay gap for PM&C overall is calculated based on average salary while at each classification, the median salary is used. This is in line with the APS Remuneration Report.
The gender pay gap at the APS 1 and SESB3 level is excluded from the figure one and table one, due to the very small number of staff in each cohort (<10). However, these employees contribute to the overall PMC gender pay gap.
The Secretary has been excluded.
Table 1 – PM&C Gender Pay Gap by substantive classification – December 2022*
| Classification | Gender Pay Gap |
|---|---|
| APS 2 | 0.0% |
| APS 3 | 0.0% |
| APS 4 | -2.2% |
| APS 5 | 2.3% |
| APS 6 | 0.0% |
| EL 1 | 0.0% |
| EL 2 | 0.0% |
| SES B1 | 2.5% |
| SES B2 | 6.4% |
| PMC | 6.2% |
The gap at the SES B2 level must be considered with caution as it is a small cohort and highly dependent on the make-up of the cohort year-to-year (e.g. a cohort with a high proportion of new promotions from the SES B1 level will likely have a lower median compared with a cohort with more established SES).
Gender distribution
PM&C’s gender pay gap is largely driven by the distribution of women and men across the classifications.
Of PM&C’s total female workforce, 79% are at the EL1 level or below, compared with 74% of our total male workforce.
Given the gender pay gap at majority of the classification levels is relatively low (see Figure 1 and Table 1), the larger proportion of females at the lower classifications is the main driver behind the 6.2% organisational pay gap. The larger number of women at lower classifications makes the average female salary lower. A lower average female salary results in a gender pay gap.
Figure 2 – Proportion of women and men at each substantive classification, December 2022
Table 2 – Proportion of women and men at each substantive classification, December 2022
| Classification | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| APS 1-3 | 4% | 5% |
| APS 4 | 6% | 5% |
| APS 5 | 11% | 9% |
| APS 6 | 22% | 25% |
| EL1 | 35% | 31% |
| EL2 | 15% | 16% |
| SES | 4% | 5% |
Trends
The distribution of the genders across all classifications is slowly evening out, reducing the organisational gender pay gap over recent years. This includes the proportion of female SES which has risen from 51% in December 2020, 54% in December 2021 and 55% in December 2022. This influenced the drop in the gender pay gap from 7.4% in 2020 to 6.3% in 2021 and now 6.2% in 2022
What next?
PM&C will continue efforts to close the pay gap through initiatives in the PM&C Inclusion and Diversity Strategy 2023-26 and Action Plan, tailored management and leadership training to support Executive level staff of all genders to move into these roles, and providing an attractive and inclusive employment framework with flexible work options.
This plan will support us to maintain strong female representation within our senior leadership cohort. PM&C’s annual pay gap publication ensures we hold ourselves accountable through full and public transparency.