It might be 2025, but the gender pay gap is still clear and present. The latest data by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has shown just how significantly this disparity extends to superannuation and discretionary payments.

The report showed that, nationally, women earn $11,204 less than men from these payments each year – on average. This compounds into a significantly lower retirement fund.

Each year, the WGEA publishes an Employer Gender Pay Gaps Report, designed to set a benchmark from which employers can drive change. In addition to base salary data, it also encompasses total remuneration employer gender pay gaps — which includes superannuation, bonuses, overtime, and any other additional payments.

What's behind the superannuation gender disparity?

The superannuation disparity is a direct result of the gender pay gap and other systemic factors. As of 2025, on average, women earn $28,425 less than their male cohort, which equates to roughly 78 cents on average for every $1 earned by men. As a result, this directly impacts how much women are able to contribute to their superannuation.

Additionally, women are more likely to work part-time or take career breaks for parental leave — something that the current superannuation system fails to account for. It's factors like these that lead to sustained disparity in retirement funds.

Women in their 60s, nearing retirement age, have 42 percent less superannuation than men in the same age bracket.

While the WGEA report did show that a majority of employers have made small steps towards bridging their base salary and total remuneration pay gaps, large gaps are still particularly evident in high-paying industries, like mining, and financial and insurance services. Overwhelmingly, the additional payments tend to benefit employees in the highest-paid roles, who are more likely to be men.

What are the long-term implications of the gender superannuation gap?

The gender disparity in superannuation means that, on average, women are more likely to retire in poverty. Put simply, if women have less super to invest, there are fewer returns to compound, leaving them with less money to retire on.

Australian Ethical highlighted the very real long term effects of this gap, which can leave women financially restricted in their later years, potentially limiting their healthcare and aged care options, and overall quality of life during retirement when compared to men. In February, the ABC published similar findings, showing that retired single women who rent have highest poverty rates for retired Australians. In fact, nearly 80 per cent of this cohort live in poverty.

Where do we go from here?

The goal of the WGEA report is to better understand men and women's experience in the workforce, in order to address and correct differences.

Speaking on the most recent findings, WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge said, “Over the past year, employers have told us that publication of employer gender pay gaps is a catalyst to assess gender-based differences in all areas of their workplace."

She continued, “For men, a more equal experience could mean their employer is providing access to paid parental leave, paying superannuation on that leave and actively supporting a flexible return to work from parental leave.

“For women, it could mean their employer is redesigning manager roles that will enable those roles to be undertaken on a part-time basis or as a job share. This action can create new pathways to career progression for employees with caring or other responsibilities outside of work, or by actively broadening the pipeline of talent across occupations and job roles."