A study revealed a massive gender pay gap among arts workers in the U.K.
Photo by Philip Veater, on Unsplash.
A survey of more than 2,600 professionals working in or with the arts industry in the U.K. revealed that the country’s museums and arts organizations are still far from closing the gap when it comes to salaries paid to male and female workers. The study, which was conducted by ArtsProfessional in the September and October 2018, found that the median salary for men is £33,000 ($41,800), while the equivalent figure for women is £29,500 ($37,300), and 31% of men under 35 are in senior roles, compared to 15% of women. The study found that, among those working full-time, women are paid 10.6% less than their male counterparts.
As ArtsProfessional explained:
Career progression appears to be the most significant contributor to this. While only one in six of those at an early stage of their career are men, at senior levels men take almost one in three of all roles.
The study did find that the difference in pay among freelance workers was marginal enough to suggest that there was no discrimination based on gender, but added that “the diverse nature of freelance work in the cultural sector makes comparisons difficult.”
