A recent survey showed a 15.5% like-for-like pay gap between male and female optometrists, according the Association of Optometrists (AOP) which represents the majority of optometrists in the UK.
The AOP said its analysis showed when factors such as experience, time in the job and extra responsibilities were controlled for there was still a statistically significant gap in pay between men and women in the sector. The findings came from the association’s 2018 Optometrists’ Futures survey, conducted by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES).
The association highlighted the results to coincide with with the UK’s nationwide gender pay gap reporting: since last year, all businesses in the UK employing over 250 staff must publish the median salaries they pay to men and to women each April.
Tony Stafford, who directs AOP policy, said while pay gap reporting had an important role, the AOP’s research sought to give a more in-depth picture. The results would shape the association’s support for members, both employees and employers, he added.
“The Government’s gender pay gap figures are very useful for showing the extent of inequality right across workplaces, where senior positions are often held by men. But they don't tell us if men and women are being paid differently for doing similar jobs,” he said. “The AOP's survey has looked at that question. We compared optometrists working more than 30 hours a week and found that on average, and after accounting for influencing factors as far as we could, women still earn 15.5% less than men.”
