Men in the UK are nearly one-and-a-half times more likely to receive a bonus than women, and when they do, their payouts are significantly higher, according to new research from HR data specialists Brightmine.
The study found that men received an average bonus of £4,913, equivalent to 9.5 per cent of salary, compared to £2,723or 6 per cent of salary for women. This represents a gender bonus gap of £2,190 – meaning men’s bonuses are 1.8 times higher than women’s.
The disparity is most pronounced in mid-life careers. In their early 50s, men earn average bonuses of £8,693, while women in the same age group receive £4,193 – a gap of £4,500.
Brightmine also found wide variation across job roles. Directors were awarded average bonuses of £54,014, representing 33.6 per cent of their salary, while routine task providers such as cleaners or catering assistants received just £535, or 2.2 per cent. Sales and marketing staff topped the sector tables with bonuses averaging 23.5 per cent of salary (£17,493), while science roles saw the lowest average payouts at £726 (1.5 per cent).
Sector differences were also stark. Private sector employees enjoyed the highest average payouts at £6,827, or 12.3 per cent of salary. However, only 10.5 per cent of private-sector staff received a bonus at all, compared with nearly 40 per cent of employees in manufacturing and production.
Sheila Attwood, HR insights and data lead at Brightmine, said the findings highlight a systemic problem.
“While bonuses are becoming scarcer across the workforce, the real story is the gap between males and females receiving bonuses,” she said. “This, alongside the news that the UK gender pay gap has been underestimated for the past 20 years, serves to highlight a continuing equity issue that organisations can no longer afford to ignore.
“If employers are serious about inclusivity, they need to face the gap head on and interrogate their reward practices to ensure transparency, fairness and consistency.”
Brightmine is urging organisations to conduct audits of bonus practices to uncover disparities in both eligibility and value, and to ensure that reward strategies reinforce fairness and retention rather than fuelling inequality.
The research adds to growing scrutiny of workplace reward systems as businesses face pressure from investors, regulators and employees to address gender disparities in pay and career progression.