Tech branded one of worst-offending sectors for pay gap perceptions

Female tech workers are paid 15 per cent less than their male counterparts - not as big a gap as some other sectors - but perception of gender discrimination in our industry is higher than any other sector, research finds

Technology has been branded one of the worst-offending sectors when it comes to the gender pay gap, at least when according to perceptions.

Salary benchmarking site Emolument.com asked 857 UK employees if they thought their industry had a gender pay gap. It compared their answers to salaries from 50,000 professionals in those industries.

A mixed pictured emerged for technology and telecoms, one of six industries studied.

It rated joint lowest in terms of the gender gap for median salaries, with women being paid an average of £41,000, 15 per cent less than the male average of £48,000. The pay delta for other sectors was significantly higher, with female financial services workers earning 30 per cent less than their male counterparts (£67,000 versus £96,000), and female consulting and professional services workers taking home 20 per cent less (£40,000 versus £50,000).

Despite this, those working in the tech sector are more aware than any other sector that a gender pay gap exists, the study found.

One hundred per cent of women and 59 per cent of men questioned in the survey perceived there to be a gender imbalance on pay in the tech industry.

In consulting and professional services, the corresponding figures were 67 per cent and 29 per cent and for financial services they stood at 81 per cent and 55 per cent.

Emolument.com said the fact that both men and women in tech agree that gender discrimination is an issue is probably influenced by the low proportion of women in the industry. Eight out of 10 employees working for tech firms are men, according to its data.

Emolument.com co-founder Alice Leguay said: "In most industries, the lack of transparency when it comes to salaries and, most of all bonuses, has precluded victims of the gender pay gap from spotting it altogether. However, it is comforting to see that in the worst-offending sectors, such as technology and finance, employees of both sexes perceive inequality as an issue, which is a sign it is being addressed.

"Thanks to companies, regulators and the media raising awareness of the gender pay gap and the upcoming requirements for firms to disclose remuneration levels, there may well be a sharp decline in the gender pay gap in the next few years as it becomes unacceptable to professionals and shareholders."