Women in top travel jobs still paid way less than men, reveals new report

C&M Travel Recruitment reveals stark difference in pay at executive level
By Harry Kemble
06/07/2023
Home » Women in top travel jobs still paid way less than men, reveals new report

C &M Travel Recruitment has revealed ‘a stark difference’ in salaries between men and women for executive roles in the travel industry.

The recruitment agency’s gender pay gap report shows men earned an average of £7,702 more – or 14.21% higher – than their female counterparts for roles paying £40,000 or more.

On average, male executives earned £55,792, while female executives earned £48,390, which C&M described as ‘a stark difference’.

For junior roles, the men took home £85 more than a women, on average, while the gap was reversed for mid-level positions which offer between £22,001 and £29,999 a year.

In 2022, women in mid-level positions earned £103 more than males.

Due to the difference in salaries for high-end jobs, the overall pay gap in the travel industry stands at 11.50% – or £3,606 – which is down from 14.15% in 2019.

The gender pay gap report shows women continue to be awarded the vast majority of new jobs with a total of 70.7% in 2022 – up from 68.7% in 2019 and 68.6% in 2018.

Last year, women took 81.6% of all entry-level positions, 76.8% of all mid-level roles and 66% of senior roles.

C&M found 55% of the executive roles were taken by women, compared with 53.2% in 2019 and 38.1% in 2018.

Managing Director Barbara Kolosinska said: “On the face of it, these figures make for good reading – the gender pay gap has been almost eliminated at nearly all levels of the travel industry.

“However, even though we are now seeing women being awarded the majority of executive positions in travel, men continue to dominate roles in the £70,000+ range – and these top-end jobs account for the overall gap in pay that we are seeing.

“The travel industry has come a long way from just a few years ago, with more and more women being placed in higher-salaried roles, but more work still needs to be done.”

She added: “There is a real opportunity for travel to lead the way by creating true pay parity at all levels and eliminating the gender pay gap for good, but this will not happen until we start seeing more women being awarded the very top jobs.”

Lindsay Garvey-Jones, Chair at The Association of Women Travel Executives said: “While some argue that it may not always be outright discrimination, choices are often influenced by circumstances and lack of education or awareness.

“Although businesses are now required to submit data on the gender pay gap, this data alone does not provide a comprehensive picture.

“Many women in our industry face complex choices regarding career advancement, often due to family responsibilities or health-related events like menopause or caregiving. These challenges can hinder their confidence and progress.”

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