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# New industry pay data gives some insight into pay gap between men and women
- URL: https://www.benchmarkanalytics.com.au/new-industry-pay-data-gives-some-insight-into-pay-gap-between-men-and-women/
- Published: 2026-08-13T04:01:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-22T14:03:24.000Z
- Author: Nick Hossack
- Tags: Pay Gap

The ABS's May 2026 Average Weekly Earnings release put the headline gender pay gap in full-time ordinary time earnings at 11.3%, its lowest recorded level, down marginally from 11.5% in November 2025\. 

Full-time adult ordinary time earnings reached $2,083.70 in May, with six-month growth of just 1.6% — the softest half-year outcome since 2022, and annual growth of 3.7%, also the weakest since late 2022.

Industry-level data tells a more textured story. Across the 18 industries measured, gaps in full-time total earnings range from 2.2% in Other Services to 35.4% in Administrative and Support Services, with an all-industries average of 16.3% — notably wider than the 11.3% headline figure.

That gap between headline and industry numbers is methodological, not contradictory. The industry table measures *total* earnings (including overtime and penalty rates) for full-time adults on an *original*, non-seasonally-adjusted basis, whereas the headline 11.3% figure uses *ordinary time* earnings, seasonally adjusted.

Neither measure adjusts for occupation, seniority, tenure, or hours actually worked within the full-time category — meaning a large industry-level gap may reflect workforce composition (who holds senior versus junior full-time roles) as much as like-for-like pay differences. 

Readers should treat industry gaps as compositional indicators, not causal measures of unequal pay for equal work. For a cleaner read on pure wage-price movement, the ABS's quarterly Wage Price Index remains the more appropriate benchmark.

| Gender Pay Gap by Industry — Full-Time Adult Total Earnings, 15 May 2026 |           |             |         |         |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------- | ----------- | ------- | ------- |
| Industry                                                                 | Males ($) | Females ($) | Gap ($) | Gap (%) |
| Administrative and Support Services                                      | 2,219.70  | 1,639.10    | 580.60  | 35.4%   |
| Health Care and Social Assistance                                        | 2,593.40  | 1,930.00    | 663.40  | 34.4%   |
| Information Media and Telecommunications                                 | 2,970.80  | 2,342.70    | 628.10  | 26.8%   |
| Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services                               | 2,905.10  | 2,306.00    | 599.10  | 26.0%   |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services                          | 2,606.40  | 2,090.70    | 515.70  | 24.7%   |
| Financial and Insurance Services                                         | 2,583.20  | 2,093.20    | 490.00  | 23.4%   |
| Arts and Recreation Services                                             | 2,033.50  | 1,695.90    | 337.60  | 19.9%   |
| Mining                                                                   | 3,445.70  | 2,882.20    | 563.50  | 19.6%   |
| Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services                                  | 2,162.20  | 1,831.90    | 330.30  | 18.0%   |
| Transport, Postal and Warehousing                                        | 2,286.60  | 1,950.30    | 336.30  | 17.2%   |
| All Industries                                                           | 2,282.60  | 1,963.40    | 319.20  | 16.3%   |
| Manufacturing                                                            | 2,021.50  | 1,755.70    | 265.80  | 15.1%   |
| Wholesale Trade                                                          | 2,111.30  | 1,859.90    | 251.40  | 13.5%   |
| Accommodation and Food Services                                          | 1,614.50  | 1,441.00    | 173.50  | 12.0%   |
| Construction                                                             | 2,171.70  | 1,985.30    | 186.40  | 9.4%    |
| Retail Trade                                                             | 1,672.00  | 1,530.00    | 142.00  | 9.3%    |
| Education and Training                                                   | 2,320.10  | 2,144.90    | 175.20  | 8.2%    |
| Public Administration and Safety                                         | 2,318.00  | 2,167.80    | 150.20  | 6.9%    |
| Other Services                                                           | 1,715.10  | 1,677.40    | 37.70   | 2.2%    |