Gender pay gap reporting
Information about gender pay gap reporting at the University.
From 2017 any organisation with more than 250 employees has a legal obligation to report its gender pay gap. The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings across the University. As an employer with more than 250 employees the University will publish statutory calculations on its pay gap every year.
Background
The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings across the University. As an employer with more than 250 employees it is a legal requirement for the University to publish statutory calculations on its pay gap every year, based on the “snapshot date” of 31 March. The University has 12 months from the snapshot date in which to publish the pay information.
The regulations stipulate that the following information must be reported:
- mean gender pay gap in hourly pay
- median gender pay gap in hourly pay
- mean bonus gender pay gap
- median bonus gender pay gap
- proportion of males and females receiving a bonus payment
- proportion of males and females in each pay quartile
In accordance with the regulations and with reference to the Equality Act 2010 the University’s gender pay gap report includes data relating to persons who are engaged by the legal entity incorporated under the name ‘The Chancellors Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford’ (“the University”). This includes employees in University of Oxford departments, casual workers (including those undertaking casual teaching), those engaged through the University’s Temporary Staffing Service and those who work within Oxford University Press (“OUP”).
The University reporting does not include colleges or subsidiary companies, which are separate legal entities.
The University is committed to closing its gender pay gap and is undertaking a number of actions in relation to this. The gender pay gap report and narrative is published annually.
Related links
Gender pay gap reporting at the University
Gender pay gap in ordinary pay
On 31 March 2025 the University’s workforce for the purpose of gender pay gap reporting consisted of 21,231 individuals: 11,793 women and 9,438 men.
The University’s gender pay gaps are as follows:
| Gender pay gaps in ordinary pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 16.9% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 9.4% lower |
The gender pay gap is primarily influenced by the uneven distribution of male and female staff across the organisation, with more men in high-paying roles and more women in lower-paying roles.
| Proportion of males and females in each pay quartile | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Upper quartile | 55.7% | 44.3% |
| Upper middle quartile | 45.5% | 54.6% |
| Lower middle quartile | 42.4% | 57.6% |
| Lower quartile | 34.3% | 65.7% |
Gender pay gap in bonus pay
| Gender pay gaps in bonus pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in bonus pay | 58.7% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in bonus pay | 0% lower |
| Proportion in receipt of bonus pay by legal sex | |
|---|---|
| Male | 13.8% |
| Female | 18.6% |
Gender pay is different to equal pay. The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings across the University. Equal pay ensures we are paying the same level of pay to those who are performing the same work, or work assessed as being of equal value as determined by an analytical job evaluation scheme which looks at the skills and requirements of the job.