Agency gender pay gaps from worst to best
Mumbrella has sized up agencies from worst to best on the gender pay gap, with the data showing big differences. Despite the range, however, not a single agency or group has gone under the line and shown a gap in favour of women, according to data released today by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).
Click the graphic below for a closer look.
In the general Australian job market, women are earning an average of 78 cents for ever dollar earned by a man.
WGEA published the results for 7,800 individual employers and 1,700 corporate groups, which found just 21% of employers have a gender pay gap within the desired range of plus or minus 5%.
Close to three-quarters of all employers (72%) had a gender pay gap in favour of men, with the higher-paying employers the most likely to have a larger gender pay gap. Just 6.5% of employers had a pay gap in favour of women.
Across agencyland, the average total remuneration gender pay gap is 16%, with McCann Worldwide, Wavemaker and TBWA Sydney among the worst of the pack. On the other end, Initiative, Clemenger BBDO, BMF, and TBWA Melbourne are among those with a less than 10% gap.
McCann Worldwide had the largest gap — 0.9 percentage points more than its closest competitor — at 30.6%. It’s upper quartile (the top quarter of employees, in regards to pay packet) had an average pay of $207,000 and was split a shocking 79%/21% in favour of men. It’s lower quartile was completely flipped, at an 80%/20% split in favour of women, with an average pay of $69,000.
WPP AUNZ had an average gap of 11.6%, with its total workforce having a positive skew towards women, at 59% to 41%.
Despite having an even split in its upper quartile (50%/50%), WPP’s GroupM — which also listed two of its agencies, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom, separately — had a total gap of 22.1%. It’s upper quartile had an average pay of $228,000, while it’s lower quartile’s (split 73%/27% in favour of women) average pay was $66,000.
Wavemaker’s upper quartile had a 55%/45% skew towards men and an average pay of $120,000. However, it’s lower quartile was split 75%/25%, also in favour of women, with an average pay of $65,000. Altogether, the agency had an average total remuneration gap of 29.7%.
Meanwhile, EssenceMediacom had a 10.5% gap. It’s upper quartile favoured women at 53%/47%, with an average pay of $226,000, compared to the lower quartile (split 66%/34%) with a pay of $67,000.
Sticking within the WPP network, Ogilvy had a 26.2% gap, with its upper quartile (43%/57% in favour of men) boasting an average pay of $257,000. It’s lower quartile (78%/22% skew towards women) had a $71,000 average pay.
AKQA had an 18.8% total remuneration gap, with a huge 72%/28% split towards men in its upper quartile – which had an average pay of $260,000.
Finally, WPP’s VML had a total 19.1% pay gap, despite a 57%/43% split in favour of women in its total workforce. Meanwhile, Wunderman Thompson — which is now part of VML — reported a gap of 11.6%.
Fellow holdco Dentsu ANZ had a 17.5% total remuneration pay gap, also despite a relatively even (52%/48%) split in total workforce. It’s upper quartile was split 62%/38% in favour of men, with an average pay of $267,000. Meanwhile, it’s lower quartile had an average pay of $78,000 with a 63%/37% split towards women.
M&C Saatchi Group had an 11.9% average total gap, with a total workforce split of 53%/47% in favour of women, compared to Enero Group’s BMF which had a 63%/37% split (also in favour of women) and only a 7.5% total pay gap.
Looking to Omnicom now, and Omnicom Media Group (OMG) had an 11.3% average total remuneration gap, despite a 62%/38% split in favour of women in its total workforce. In it’s upper quartile, OMG had an average pay of $208,000 — and a 58%/42% split towards women — while its lower quartile (63%/37% towards women) had an average pay of just $59,000.
Also within the Omnicom group, DDB had a total workforce split of 58%/42% in favour of women. yet a 17.7% average total remuneration gap. It’s upper quartile had an average pay of $269,000 and a 66%/34% skew towards men, compared to its lower quartile which was 66%/34% split in favour of women, with an average pay of $77,000.
Meanwhile, TBWA Sydney and TBWA Melbourne had stark differences.
The Melbourne office had a gap of just 8.9%, compared to Sydney’s 26.5%. However, Melbourne’s total workforce was split 54%/46% in favour of women, compared to Sydney’s 62%/38%. The biggest similarity lied in the upper quartile — TBWA Melbourne at 39%/61% in favour of men, and TBWA Sydney at 41%/59%. Meanwhile, in the lower quartile, Melbourne was at 57%/43% towards women, and Sydney 63%/37%.
And finally, Omnicom’s Clemenger BBDO had a total remuneration gap of just 6.4%, with a total workforce split of 59%/41% in favour of women.
Wellcom had a gap of 12.1%, with its upper quartile split 58%/42% in favour of men and an average pay of $166,000. Meanwhile, its lower quartile favoured women at 52%/48%, with a $71,000 average.
IPG’s Mediabrands favoured women in its total workforce, with a 67%/33% split, but still had a 17.6% total pay gap. Meanwhile, Initiative was the best in agencyland, with a total remuneration pay gap of just 3.4%. It’s total workforce had a 67%/33% split in favour of women.
Publicis Groupe split itself into three – Publicis Communications, Publicis Sapient, and Publicis Media.
Publicis Communications had a 23.5% total pay gap. It’s total workforce favoured women at 66%/34%. Publicis Sapient was slightly better, with a gap of 15.3%. However, it’s total workforce favoured men at 54%/46%.
Finally, Publicis Media had an average total remuneration pay gap of just 8.5%, with a total workforce split of 64%/36% in favour of women.
To independents now, and Thinkerbell had a straight 13% pay gap despite a 58%/42% split in favour of women. It’s upper quartile was split 51%/49% towards women with an average pay of $241,000, while its lower was 70%/30% with a $83,000 average.
Howatson+Co had a 12.6% total renumeration gap, with a 56%/44% split in favour of women. The upper quartile was split evenly (50%/50%) with a whopping average pay of $304,000, while the lower quartile favoured women at 63%/38% and an average pay of $82,000.
And finally, the recently re-independent R/GA had a gap of 22%, with a 51%/49% split towards women. It’s upper quartile davoured men at 62%/38%, while its lower favoured women at 78%/24%.
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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Does the analysis get more nuanced ? For example – if a male and female employee are both paid $200k for instance . The male works 60 hours a week and the female 40 hrs – the male is being paid less. Does this level of analysis exist otherwise this data becomes a start point not an end point .
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