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The Gender Wage Gap Among University Vice Chancellors in the UK
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The Gender Wage Gap Among University Vice Chancellors in the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Ray Bachan

    (University of Brighton)

  • Alex Bryson

    (University College London)

Abstract

The gender wage gap has closed gradually in the United Kingdom, as in other countries, but convergence is slower among top earners. Using linked employer-employee data over two decades we examine the gap among university Vice Chancellors who are among the most highly paid employees in the UK. Traditionally dominated by men the occupation has experienced a recent influx of women. The substantial gender wage gap of 12 log points in the first decade of the 21st Century closed markedly during the second decade, becoming statistically non-significant in later years. The closure in the gap is accounted for by change in the attributes of male and female VCs and the universities they lead - in particular, the financial performance of universities employing female VCs. The unexplained component of the gap is small and explains none of the convergence in the gap. A “new starter” wage penalty women faced in the early 2000s disappeared. However, women continued to receive a lower wage when replacing an outgoing male Vice Chancellor, whereas no differential was apparent between incoming male Vice Chancellors and the women they replaced.

Suggested Citation

  • Ray Bachan & Alex Bryson, 2021. "The Gender Wage Gap Among University Vice Chancellors in the UK," DoQSS Working Papers 21-04, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    • Handle: RePEc:qss:dqsswp:2104
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    Cited by:

    1. James Monks, 2022. "University Presidential Searches: An Empirical Examination of Internal Versus External Hiring," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 48(4), pages 580-601, October.
    2. Lucey, Brian & Urquhart, Andrew & Zhang, Hanxiong, 2022. "UK Vice Chancellor compensation: Do they get what they deserve?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(4).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender wage gap; vice chancellors; higher education; decompositions; linked employer-employee data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations

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