- Travel industry’s gender pay gap narrows slightly in 2023
- But huge salary gulf emerges for executive jobs
- Women awarded 68 per cent of all roles in travel
- But are paid 11.1 per cent less than men on average
Gender pay split
The gender pay gap in the travel industry marginally narrowed in 2023, according to new research from C&M Travel Recruitment.
The typical female working in travel took home 11.15 per cent less than their male equivalent last year, compared to a gap of 11.50 per cent in 2022, 6.48 per cent in 2021 and 14.15 per cent in 2019.
This resulted in a gender pay gap of £3,678 in 2023, with women earning an average of £32,989 while men received £36,667.
However, this overall gap can almost solely be attributed to the stark difference in pay for those in the highest salaried jobs.
The pay gap for executive roles (those paying £40,000 and above) widened considerably from 14.21 per cent in 2022 to 38.45 per cent in 2023, with the majority of positions with the very highest salaries being awarded to men.
Below this, salary gaps were much less significant, with the average female working in a senior role (those paying between £30,000 and £39,999) taking home £288 (or 0.86 per cent) less than males.
For those in mid-level positions (those paying between £22,001 and £29,999), women earned £163 (or 0.62 per cent) more than men, while for entry-level roles (those paying up to £22,000), men earned 0.27 per cent (or £57) more than comparable women.
Gender role split
Overall, females continued to be awarded the majority of new jobs in the travel industry with a total of 68.3 per cent – slightly down from 70.7 per cent in 2022, 68.7 per cent in 2019 and 68.6 per cent in 2018.
In terms of entry-level roles, females took 60.0 per cent (compared to 81.6 per cent in 2022 and 70.8 per cent in 2019), while women were awarded 70.7 per cent of all mid-level positions (down from 76.8 per cent in 2022 and 72.9 per cent in 2019).
It was a similar picture for senior travel jobs, with females taking 67.6 per cent of all roles in 2023, compared to 66.0 per cent in 2022 and 69.9 per cent in 2019.
Interestingly, the percentage split for executive roles was at its widest since C&M's surveys began in 2014. Females took 67.1 per cent of all such roles in 2023 – up from 55.0 per cent in 2022, 53.2 per cent in 2019 and just 38.1 per cent in 2018.
However, there was a very different result when looking at the very highest-salaried roles, with men being awarded 57.9 per cent of all £60,000+ positions (compared to 50.0 per cent in 2022 and 68.8 per cent in 2019) and 62.5 per cent of all roles with salaries of £75,000 and above.
Speaking about the findings, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&M Travel Recruitment, said: "These stats always make for interesting reading, and this year they've highlighted two very contrasting points.
"The positive news is that for the majority of positions in the travel industry, the gender pay gap has been eliminated – which is something to be celebrated. For those seeking an entry-level, mid-level or senior role in the travel industry, candidates can expect to receive the same salary as their counterparts, regardless of their gender.
"However, that is not the case when we look at the top of the industry. It's encouraging to see that more women are being placed in £40,000+ roles than just a few years ago, but men are still routinely earning more than females in these positions. And things get even more pronounced when we look at the highest salaried jobs in travel, with men being awarded the majority of these roles and earning far more than their equivalents.
"The travel industry has come a long way in recent years in terms of pay disparity, but these stats should be a stark reminder that much more needs to be done to target, support and promote women into some of the most senior roles in our sector."
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C&M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).