Based on March 2021 responses from 4517 CAs across Australia and New Zealand – 2622 in Australia and 1895 in NZ – the survey measured the remuneration of members across different demographics, sought to understand the gender pay gap and the impact of a career break on members’ careers.

The average pay gap between women and men showed that men continue to be paid significantly more than their female colleagues. The gap is around $50,000 in Australia and $60,000 in New Zealand.

The Gender Pay Gap exists not only on a total remuneration level but also within the same groups of contributing factors such as locations, select positions, years of experience, and hours worked.

Almost 7 in 10 women believe that the Gender Pay Gap exists compared to less than 3 in 10 in men. Of those who believed there was a gap, the key reasons cited were women’s carer responsibilities for children or the elderly followed by the fact that senior positions are mostly filled by men.

Almost half of women surveyed had taken career breaks, with the main reason being to parental care or to care for others, and two-thirds of those women who did take a break said it impacted their career.

95% of those surveyed said that it is important for CA ANZ to address this issue. We are committed to taking action on this, with a range of reports and resources for members to use below as a starting point. We look forward to working with members to lift the participation and work towards a fairer profession.

The 2021 Remuneration Survey was conducted and analysed by third party data company Qualtrics and 4,517 Chartered Accountants ANZ members responded to the survey.

2021 Member Remuneration Survey

In Australia, the 2021 remuneration of A$166,488 comprised an average base salary of A$136,098, with a bonus of A$14,510 and “other components” tallying A$15,880.

In New Zealand, the 2021 remuneration of NZ$149,256 comprised an average base of NZ$129,001 with a NZ$10,602 bonus and other components totalling NZ$9652.

No survey was conducted in 2020 due to the pandemic disruptions however members claimed an increase of 4.5-5% from last year across both countries.

A CA of 60 years or over in Australia reported average remuneration of A$233,763 for 2021, while the figure for those in the 20- to 29-year-old age group was A$87,186. In New Zealand, the same comparison was NZ$188,444 against NZ$79,948 for younger CAs.

In terms of employment sectors, CAs working in corporate enjoy the highest remuneration, at A$209,904 in Australia and NZ$185,004 in NZ.

The survey also looked at the work-life balance and found that New Zealand members struck a better balance than counterparts in Australia, with fewer hours worked per week and fewer people working more than 40 hours a week.

In NZ, 57% of respondents worked between 31 to 40 hours a week, and 34% worked more – even up to more than 60 hours. In Australia, by comparison, 51% worked between 31 to 40 hours, while 41% worked even more.