We have published our 2023-24 Australia Gender Pay Gap Report, detailing key data and insights on the factors that influence an equitable talent environment. Understanding the many factors influencing differences in pay, and the fairness and inclusivity of an organisation's compensation system is a complex issue. This report serves as a brief summary of our longstanding commitment to compensation fairness and an overview of our progress in accelerating inclusion and equitable access to opportunity in Australia.
Under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, all Australian employers with 100 or more employees are required to report their gender equality data to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) each year showing the gender pay gap. The gender pay gap is a basic calculation of the percentage difference average earnings between employees who identify as women and men in the workforce, regardless of the work they do. The gender pay gap and gender composition by pay quartiles for organisations with 100 or more employees were published on the public record for the first time in February 2024.
The data will help an organisation do an analysis of what is driving an organisation’s gender pay gap, looking at workforce composition by gender, representation in more senior and highly paid roles, etc. Larger gaps tend to indicate a gender imbalance between higher and lower paying roles at an organisation. While the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has been collecting this data for almost a decade, until 2024 it has published only anonymised information about industry sectors. In 2024, the agency published employer gender pay gaps by median (for base salary and total renumeration) as well as the gender composition by pay quartile and associated average total renumeration. In March 2025, in addition to those figures, the agency will also publish the average (mean) gender pay gap (for base salary and total renumeration) and also the average renumeration by pay quartile. This gender pay gap also includes CEO remuneration for the first time.
The pay gap should not be confused with women and men being paid the same for the same, or comparable, job. This is equal pay and has been a legal requirement since 1969. The pay gap is one basic measure across all jobs (the difference between the average pay for all men and all women across all jobs), not a measure of the differences in pay between men and women doing similar work. As a result, this report will show a gender pay gap even if those who identify as men and women are paid fairly in comparable roles. The unequal gender representation in more senior and/or technical roles, which offer higher compensation and rewards, is reflected in the gender pay gap.
At Cisco, we’ve built an innovative framework to test our complex compensation system and its overall health. Our regular reviews look at key factors that influence an equitable talent environment, with the goal of designing and delivering fair and equitable pay throughout the entire employment life cycle.