Australia - Postgrad Women Trailing Men in Salaries

Women with postgraduate qualifications are earning between $3,000 and $10,000 a year less than their male counterparts, new figures show.

The findings come from a survey of people completing postgraduate studies last year, carried out by Graduate Careers Australia.

The study tracked the careers and salaries of 96,000 Australian postgraduate students four months after finishing their courses.

It found they were earning an average of $60,000.

Those with postgraduate diplomas earned a median $55,000, while those with course work masters were earning $65,000 a year. Research masters and PhD graduates earned $60,700.

Although the figures could vary from state to state, women were largely coming off second best.

"Across the three main levels of postgraduate qualification, male graduates were reporting salaries between $3,000 and $10,000 more than those reported by female graduates," said the final report, Postgraduate Destinations 2006.

The wage gap between the sexes was greatest in Western Australia - up to $20,000 for those with postgraduate course work degrees.

As well as earning less than similarly qualified men, female postgraduates were more likely to be in part-time or casual jobs and seeking work.

They also received fewer employer benefits like financial support and time off for study.

"There are few fields of education in which the median salaries for females exceed the median salaries for males," the report said.

"Unfortunately, while the Graduate Destinations Survey brings this salary disparity to light, it does not produce sufficient information to provide adequate explanation."

However, women with certain postgraduate qualifications in basic nursing, architecture, humanities, economics, psychology, social work and rehabilitation earned more than their male counterparts.

The study found postgraduates were more likely to be in full-time work than people with undergraduate degrees and were more likely to be in permanent or long-term positions.

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