Analysis of pay gap

The sustained downward trend in the mean and median hourly gender pay gap is a positive development for the UKSA and reflects the impact of targeted actions in recent years. This improvement has been driven by two key factors: a notable increase in the proportion of women in senior grades, and pay awards that provided higher increases for staff in lower-paid roles, where women are more highly represented. As of March 2025, women accounted for 48% of Senior Civil Service staff, up from 45% in 2024. Representation also improved at other senior grades, with women comprising 52% of Grade 6 and 53.7% of Grade 7 staff. This shift has had a direct impact on the mean pay gap, as greater representation in higher-earning grades raises the average salaries of women. Women also represented 51.3% of the upper pay quartile compared to 48.7% for men, demonstrating progress in achieving gender balance at the higher pay bands. Targeted pay awards have complemented these efforts by addressing disparities at the lower end of the pay scale. Due to the prioritisation of pay increases for grades where women are more prevalent, the mean hourly rate for women has moved closer to that of men.

Gender Pay Gap

In the year to March 2025:

• The mean pay gap is 4.3% in favour of men, a decrease of 1.7pp from 6.0% in 2024.
• The median pay gap is 5.0% in favour of men, a decrease of 0.7pp from 5.7% in 2024.

There has been a noticeable rise in the representation of men within lower-grade roles, particularly among Interviewers and Administrative Officers (AOs). Since these positions are typically lower paid, this shift has reduced the mean gender pay gap by bringing the average salary of men closer to that of women. At the same time, representation of women has declined most notably among AOs and Higher Executive Officers (HEOs), leading to an increased proportion of men in these grades. While this change has contributed to narrowing the mean pay gap, it highlights the need for targeted interventions to support women’s progression within these grades.

Encouragingly, Executive Officer (EO) and Senior Executive Officer (SEO) grades now show a more balanced gender distribution. This improvement has helped reduce both mean and median pay gaps, as greater equality at mid-level grades creates a fairer salary distribution. Progress is also evident at senior levels, where representation of women at Grade 6 has increased to 52%, and within the Senior Civil Service (SCS) from 45% to 48%. These improvements positively impact pay equality by increasing the proportion of women in higher-paid roles, and continued progress in this area remains critical to achieving long-term gender balance.

Despite these gains, gaps remain in certain professions and grades. As an example, the Government Digital and Data (GDD) pay framework continues to be dominated by men, particularly at Grade 6, where there is currently no representation of women. These disparities sustain the overall pay gap and underline the need for continued efforts to attract and retain women in these areas.