New report: Australian engineers see wages growth slow despite key role in recovery.
A new report has revealed that wages growth has slowed in Australia’s engineering sector despite the profession’s critical role in the delivery of the nation’s record state and federal government quarter trillion dollar investment in infrastructure as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report also revealed that much more needs to be done to address gender equity in the male dominated industry.
The
Professional Engineers Employment and Remuneration Report 2021/2022 released by the Association of Professional Engineers Australia found that average wages for engineers rose by just 1.6 percent over the last 12 months, compared with 2.4 per cent in the year prior.
The survey also showed that 49.2 per cent of engineers had changed employers seeking an increase in remuneration while 51.7 per cent did so for professional development opportunities.
Professionals Australia CEO Jill McCabe said that the report illustrated the critical role that Australia’s engineers were playing in the nation’s economic recovery and lessons for engineering employers.
“Fortunately, Australia is beginning to emerge from the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’m proud to say that Australian engineers are helping to lead our nation out of the economic crisis through their invaluable work in the delivery of a quarter trillion dollar investment in new infrastructure across our country.
“Unfortunately, we’ve not seen this record infrastructure investment and increased demand for engineers flow on to greater wage increases compared to pre-pandemic levels.
“Around half of the engineers surveyed believed both that their remuneration packages were falling behind what others undertaking similar work were being paid, and that their packages were not commensurate with the level of responsibility they undertook day to day.
“It’s clear from the data that to attract and retain high quality engineering talent, employers must offer competitive remuneration packages and professional development opportunities to prospective candidates.”
Ms McCabe also said the report once again highlighted that much more work needed to done to address gender equity in the profession.
“Unfortunately, women still face an average gender pay gap of 9.8 per cent when compared with men.
“34.9 per cent of women also reported that they had experienced discrimination on the basis of gender in the workplace.
“Unacceptably, 25.4 per cent of women also reported they have experienced sexual harassment in their engineering workplaces compared with just 2.5 per cent of men.”
“With little improvement year to year, these statistics demonstrate that the engineering sector has a deep, cultural and institutional problem with the women which needs to change as a matter of urgency.
“Discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace are illegal and cause serious harm and damage to affected workers.
“While workplace policies are a necessary starting point, it’s clear that more must be done.
“Business and government leaders must drive, model and embed a culture of respect across their entirety of their organisation’s regardless of gender, faith, sexuality or belief.”
You can read the full Professional Engineers Employment and Remuneration Report 2021/2022
here
Media contact: Darren Rodrigo 0414 783 405
Key Statistics
Wages for engineers
- Average wage increase for engineers over the last year – 1.6% (down from 2.4% the year prior)
- 49.2 per cent of engineers changed jobs while seeking higher remuneration while 52.7 per cent do so to seek professional development opportunities.
- 48.5 per cent of engineers they believed their remuneration package was falling behind what others undertaking similar work were being paid.
- 48.1 per cent said they did not believe their package appropriately reflected the level of responsibility they undertook in their day-to-day work.
Women in engineering
- Women in engineering earn 9.8% less than their male counterparts.
- 34.9% of women also reported that they had experienced discrimination on the basis of gender in the workplace.
- 22.9% of women said that their employer did not have strategies in place to actually implement the policies.
- 25.4% of women reported they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace compared with just 2.5% of men.