Research by PayFinder.com found that on average a man was paid 24% more than a woman while the Office for National Statistics put the figure at 19%.

It is thought that women's salaries are affected by the movement in and out of the workplace due to childcare responsibilities and by doing jobs that are valued less in society.

The pay gap was found to be widest in the South East and Scotland.

What are your experiences of salary differences? Does a significant gap exist, in your view? Is enough being done to tackle the issue?

This debate is now closed. Read your comments below.

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far.

I am a woman. I am their boss. They earn more than me as they are men. I am leaving to start my own business because after 6 years I have finally had enough of trying to be recognised.
Mel, UK

For the people who are saying that women get all the extra perks in terms of career breaks - have you thought about the women who don't/won't/can't have children?
MJ, London, UK

As economists say: the value of something is what a damn fool will pay for it Jeroen, Edinburgh, UK

The causes of the gender gap are pretty obvious. Women are expected to have their 1.5 children between 20 and 30, during the start of their careers. They're (rightly) expected to breast feed their babies because of the important health benefits. On top of that, they choose careers in industries that are under funded, such as education and healthcare. The overall contribution of women may be more beneficial to society than that of men, but such considerations are unrelated to pay. As economists say: the value of something is what a damn fool will pay for it.
Jeroen, Edinburgh, UK

I do the same job as my colleague and am paid a lot less (�5000pa); the reason being is that I am a ' temp '. Also, I receive no sick pay and no pension rights and get at least 13 days less annual leave! By the way I'm male, not that this makes any difference in my situation.
Alec, London, UK

If we men earn more, we pay more in tax, NI and pension contributions. Yet we retire five years later and have a shorter average lifespan than women, thus claiming up to ten years less pension. That is discrimination.
Stuart, Birmingham, UK

So what if someone gets higher pay than you? Brendan Chilton, Great Britain

Britain has become a nation of money grabbing slobs. All we care about is how much money we have, it's pathetic. So what if someone gets higher pay than you, whether male or female? Deal with it!
Brendan Chilton, Great Britain

I don't see why women should be paid any less than men for doing the same job. In my line of work, IT, salaries are negotiated with agents before employment, and if women can negotiate higher pay than the men then good luck to them! If they can't, they need to be tougher - and the same goes for the men.
Dan, Rochester, UK

What a great way to get the edge in the hiring process. Less pay probably means likelier to get the job. How many men don't even have jobs because employers chose more affordable women?
Anonymous

I had no idea that men intelligent enough to use the internet could still harbour opinions such as these.....
Pete, York

Go into business for yourself if you want more money Flynn, London, England

I've had two female bosses - both earned more than anyone in the office. Reason? They worked for it (the first, over eight years, and was headhunted for even more). If she could do it, so could any woman. Stop bleating about your favourite "ism" and go into business for yourself if you want more money, male or female.
Flynn, London, England

Perhaps if the additional benefits that women receive are factored in, it may be that the pay difference evens out. It would also be nice to see this research factor in other gender differences, for example how many women become the major wage earner after marriage.
Paul, Belgium

This is good. Perhaps now my husband, who is better qualified than me and carries a lot of responsibility but earns a great deal less may be fairly compensated for his hard work. Which will give me a chance to concentrate on the most important job of all which is caring for our child and home.
Carol Metcalfe, Essex/ East London

Salaries are negotiated. Sex has nothing to do with how much you are paid, especially in the service sector. All this means is that generally, women are undervaluing their worth and not fighting as hard as men for higher salaries (or are willing to settle for less pay.
Jon, London, UK

From my point of view it highlights discrimination against men Phillip Holley, UK, Cambs

This report is painted as sexism against women but from my point of view it highlights that it is still sociably unacceptable for a man to take a career break or part time work for their parenting and as such represents discrimination against men.
Phillip Holley, UK, Cambs

Well, if they didn't spend all their time at work chatting about shoes, generally complaining and eating cakes then they might start to be paid the same as the men. The cheek of it!
Dave, Southampton, UK.

The effect of height needs to be taken into account in the statistics - taller men tend to be paid more that shorter men (unfairly, in my opinion). However, this may account for a significant proportion of the difference in salaries between men and women.
David Watling, Devizes, UK

Has anyone working in a large organisation with published pay scales ever seen different rates for women and men for doing the same job?
Dave, Sheffield, England

If the stats were the other way around, women would use them as conclusive proof that they are better workers than men and that their superiority is being acknowledged on the open market. In fact in my experience men are more effective in the workplace and I am pleased to see that almost every employer in the world has chosen to reflect this in pay scales.
Nick, London, UK

Traditionally, and rightly, the man is the provider and breadwinner for his household Matthew Gray, Southport, UK

A job is not just about pay; to many it is a livelihood, lifestyle, and a means to support their family. Because of this, it is indeed right that the roles of men and women in society are rightly reflected. Traditionally, and rightly, the man is the provider and breadwinner for his household, and the woman, if she has an income, will supplement that. Therefore, I think it is morally right that a man should receive a higher wage in order to provide for his family. I believe that men and women are equal, but they are suited to different roles. Sadly, the only measure of 'equality' in our materialistic society today is in pounds and pence - and life is worth more than that.
Matthew Gray, Southport, UK

Well it's the attitude of Neanderthals like Matthew Gray that keep the gender gap firmly and totally wrongly in place. Not all women want to stay at home, have babies, bake cookies and be dependent on a man - some of us want to work from choice, and have financial freedom (particularly from Luddites like him) and intellectual stimulation from work and social contact outside the 'mummy scene'. And in that case we want the same rewards and monetary recognition as the men, plain and simple.
Caroline, London, UK

Matthew Gray, I hadn't realised that employers are paying us on the basis of how many mouths we feed, rather than the work we do. Now you've clarified that for me, I feel relieved and happy that my labour is not in vain; I'm feeding somebody else's children.
Lucy, Cambridge, UK

To Matthew Gray: Your opinions are all very well apart from the fact that most people don't live in 'traditional' family units any more. There are many single parents working - why should men then be paid more than women? I am a married woman and am the main breadwinner in our household. I have a degree and my husband does not - should he still get paid more than me?
Helen, Exeter, UK

In my experience men tend to be paid more because they are more confident of their worth and seem more naturally aggressive at negotiating a higher salary.
Jacqui , Gateshead, UK

A significant pay gap absolutely exists. I am a 20-something woman working at the same company as a male colleague who is the same age as me, with a similar degree from the same University. I am 25% more efficient, 25% more productive and 25% more organised than he is, yet his salary is 25% higher than mine. I can only put this down to the fact that he is 50% louder than me and the bosses respond to his constant complaining.
anon, London

Women don't seem to complain about receiving maternity benefits, child support or maternity leave. We shouldn't compare just the pay - we should also compare the other perks.
James Murphy, Dorset, UK

Until women decide to take the bad with the good on equality matters I can never see it changing Chris, Slough

For men the cost of living is much higher than that of a women. We eat more food, consume more drink and are still expected to pay for meals and drinks when out on dates. Until women decide to take the bad with the good on equality matters I can never see it changing.
Chris, Slough

Just a point for Chris. He seems to think that the wage difference is fair due to traditionally men being expected to pay for dinner and drinks... a guess then that lesbians really miss out then...
A, Beds

All the women I know in my industry (IT) are paid the same if not more than men.
Rob, Nottingham

I do a more pressured job and a more responsible job than four of the guys at my company. They seem to be standing around talking most of the day whilst I am running the Gauntlet. I know for a fact that everyone one of them are on not just a little more pay but far more.
Sue , UK

My mates and me, none of us will work for less than 6.50 an hour. My sister on the other hand isn't bothered by working for 4.50. See where the pay gap comes from?
Tom, England

It is almost impossible to compare like with like John B, UK

It is very difficult to compare salaries for two people unless they are doing exactly the same job. I've had female colleagues who appear to be the same grade as me but earning substantially more, although their responsibilities have typically been very different to mine. Once outside the highly regimented grade structures used by some companies it is almost impossible to compare like with like.
John B, UK

Salaries are kept secret (surprise surprise) so I have no idea how I compare - badly I suspect . . . . .
Kate, York

They should think themselves lucky to have a job!
Unemployed, UK