The Numbers
NextDC's gender pay gap hit 45% in FY25, up from 22.1% the year prior. Women make up 28% of the workforce but only 23% of the top quartile, where average comp sits at $581,000. Base salary gap: 18.3%.
Canva's total remuneration gap doubled from 12.7% to 27.1%. Women represent 38% of staff but 26% of top earners (average $580,000) and 55% of the lowest quartile ($130,000). Base salary gap held at 11.7%.
AWS Australia saw similar movement, though specific numbers were not disclosed in available reporting.
What This Means
These are not like-for-like role comparisons. Gender pay gap measures the difference between average male and female earnings across an entire organisation. The widening gaps signal that high-paying roles (senior IC, leadership, quota-carrying enterprise positions) remain heavily male.
For sales leaders building teams at tech companies, this data points to pipeline problems at senior levels. When women cluster in lower quartiles and make up smaller percentages of top earners, it suggests:
- Promotion rates are not equal
- High-OTE roles (enterprise AE, AM) are not attracting or retaining women
- Comp structures may disadvantage roles where women are over-represented
Canva's Chief People Officer Jennie Rogerson noted that most teams are technical roles where women are under-represented, and that equity grants (which vest over time) affect total remuneration calculations for longer-tenured staff who are more likely to be male.
Context
Australia's overall gender pay gap is shrinking. The tech sector is bucking that trend. For sales orgs hiring SDRs, AEs, and CSMs at tech companies, this data matters. If your top-performing, highest-paid segment is 75% male, you have a diversity problem that will affect culture, retention, and ultimately performance.
Worth noting: pay gap data does not show discrimination in specific roles, but it does show outcomes. And these outcomes are getting worse, not better.