This year's edition of the IES Salary Survey shows an alarming trend with the gender pay gap increasing by 43 per cent to more than it was in 2010, both in real terms and as a proportion of annual salary. This matches the wider trend across the UK reported by the Office of National Statistics, with the gender pay gap reportedly increasing to almost 13 per cent and a gender-related bonus discrepancy between male and female pay of nearly £3,500.
The graph here shows the distribution of salaries between men and women, with the women's salaries skewed to the lower end of the scale, and the men's salaries across the whole range of the scale.
The report also highlighted that average salaries across the environmental sciences have decreased by almost two per cent compared to a country-wide increase of 2.2 per cent.
Yet again this report highlights the importance of tackling the gender divide and championing the relevance of environmental science careers more widely. The IES will continue to fight for the recognition that our members deserve.
The IES CEO Adam Donnan commented on the findings from the survey:
"This report shows a worrying trend that urgently needs addressing. The problem of a gender gap in pay was identified in our first survey in 2010 and, after encouraging signs in 2012, the problem has worsened. Over the coming months we will be consulting our members to see what actions we can take as both a professional body and as a sector, to tackle this."
