Hourly earnings were highest for managers in 2023, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).  Men continued to earn more per hour than women in all eight major occupation groups. There is a 19% gender gap in hourly earnings in managerial positions, dropping to 7% for those working in sales.

Managers had the highest average hourly earnings ($67.20) followed by Professionals ($60.60). Sales workers and Labourers had the lowest of all occupations ($30.90 and $32.20) compared to an overall hourly average of $44.00. 

Men were more likely to have their pay set by an individual arrangement (45%), while a collective agreement was the most common method for women (38%).

In addition to important earnings insights, the ABS data provides key insights into the gender pay gap in Australia and how it is changing over time. Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics, said: “Analysing the difference between male and female earnings is complex and there is no single measure that can provide a complete picture”. He explained that hourly earnings comparisons are useful for understanding gender pay differences beyond weekly earnings measures, given women are more likely to work part-time than men. On average, hourly earnings were $46 for men, compared to $42 for women, a difference of 8.9% in May 2023 compared to 9.7% in May 2021.