UK Women Set to Lose 93k Euros in Career Earnings Gap

• A new study reveals, UK women stand to lose £93,000 of lifetime earnings because of the pay gap between men and women.
• The gap begins at the point of entry and peaks at £3,484 a year by women's 50s, as per the research.

New research shows, women in the UK are set to miss out on over £93,000 of their income over the course of a 40-year career due to the gender pay gap.

Instant Offices research illustrates how in-work inequalities between men and women build up over years, resulting in women having a large lifetime deficit which has a direct effect on pensions, savings and future financial security.

The full-time UK average salary was £37,430 in 2024, an increase of £2,467 from last year. Graduate starting salaries in 2025 will have an average of £31,000, albeit highly industry- and region-specific.

Wages usually rise with age, and reach a peak at the 40–49 year-old group. The most dramatic leap happens when employees transition from the 20s into their 30s, with the average income increasing by £7,696 in one year.

But even on entry level, there is a gap. Men between the ages of 18 and 21 on average earn £520 more per annum than women. By employees' 40s, this gap has increased to nearly £3,000 per year, even though this is the most high-earning decade for both men and women.

The average gender pay gap in the UK is 9%, though it increases consistently over a lifetime. Men in their 30s earn £1,664 more per year than women on average. In their 40s, the difference has increased by £2,756 every year. Between their 50s, women are paid £3,484 less than comparable male colleagues annually.

Across four decades, these small annual gaps add up to a £93,392 lifetime deficit. And that is not even considering the knock-on effect of reduced pension contributions, bonuses or investments. Including those, the real cost is almost certainly higher than £100,000.