Revealed: Why women in finance earn less than men

Men working in the finance sector are not aware of the gender pay gap within their industry, according to a new survey from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).

Olivia Hill is the Chief HR Officer at AAT. Speaking exclusively to HR Grapevine, she says: “The gender pay gap is typically higher for occupations where women are under-represented – particularly at senior levels – finance is often cited as an example of where a large gap persists.”

2,000 finance employees were surveyed by the AAT. The research reveals that while 28% of men in the finance sector want to earn £10,000 more on top of their current salary, only 14% of women said the same. Men in finance are also more prone to ask for pay rises than women. 26% of the polled men had asked for a pay rise in the last year, compared to 18% of women.

The research also reveals that 60% of men believe both genders have equal opportunities to climb the company career ladder. Only 43% of the women said the same.