ZHA directors/senior staff at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in 2024 Source:&nbspFrederic Aranda Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has slashed its gender pay gap, but there still remains a hefty disparity between men and women’s pay in the UK’s largest architecture practices The median pay gap across 15 of the biggest practices now sits at 15.5 per cent, a slight fall from 16.2 per cent a year earlier. The median pay gap records the difference between how much is paid per hour to the median-earning female employee and the median-earning male employee. Newly published data shows the decrease across all 15 practices is mainly due to ZHA, where the median gender pay gap has fallen by 9.5 per cent, and now sits at 6.3 per cent, comfortably the lowest of any practice.  Excluding ZHA, the median gender pay gap across the biggest UK practices only reduced by 0.1 per cent last year. It increased at six practices, including by 3.6 per cent at PRP and 5.2 per cent at Ryder. Advertisement The architecture practice with the largest median pay gap is Corstophine + Wright, at 32.9 per cent. A director at the practice said it has equal pay for equal roles and that its sizeable gap was due to the acquisitions of male-led practices.  Practice name Gender pay gap (hourly pay) - Median 2023/4 Gender pay gap (hourly pay) - Median 2024/5 Increase in pay gap (percentage points) Aecom 13.6% 13.9% 0.3% Allford Hall Monaghan Morris 16.5% 17% 0.5% Allies and Morrison 13.3% 16.6% 3.3% AtkinsRealis 15.9% 14.1% -1.8% BDP 20% 16.4% -3.6% Corstophine + Wright 31.5% 32.9% 1.4% Foster + Partners 14.4% 12.3% -2.1% Grimshaw 9.91% 9.91% 0% Hawkins\Brown 12.9% 11.7% -1.2% PRP 14.4% 18% 3.6% Purcell N/A 15.6% N/A Ryder 16.3% 21.5% 5.2% Sheppard Robson 13.1% 10.2% -2.9% Stide Treglown 19.8% 16.3% -3.5% Zaha Hadid 15.83% 6.3% -9.53% Average pay gap 16.2% 15.5% -0.7% The data is published by the government, which requires large companies with 250 or more employees to submit their gender pay statistics. Only 15 architecture practices are large enough to be required to reveal the data. The data shows that women make up 43.3 per cent of staff at the 15 practices, although this figure is skewed by lower numbers of women at AECOM and AtkinsRealis, which also employ a range of other built environment consultants.  Despite there being fewer of them overall, female employees make up a majority (53.4 per cent) of earners in the bottom quartile of salaries across the 15 practices. However, women make up just 28.5 per cent of employees in the top quartile of earners – effectively meaning only a quarter of those earning the most in the profession are women.  Practice name Percentage of women in each pay quarter Lower Lower middle Upper middle Upper Aecom 35.2% 38.7% 25.8% 21.4% Allford Hall Monaghan Morris 60.9% 41.8% 40.7% 26.1% Allies and Morrison 58% 57% 49% 30% AtkinsRealis 39.3% 36% 29.8% 21.7% BDP 57% 50.2% 46.4% 26.1% Corstophine + Wright 58% 35% 25% 10% Foster + Partners 46% 44% 39% 27.5% Grimshaw 44.23% 44.23% 50% 64.71% Hawkins\Brown 60% 50.8% 52.3% 23.4% PRP 59.65% 61.4% 42.11% 24.56% Purcell 60.3% 66.1% 48.4% 35.5% Ryder 52.7% 59.5% 44.6% 21.6% Sheppard Robson 54.8% 63.1% 49.4% 41% Stide Treglown 60% 46.4% 38.1% 22.6% Zaha Hadid 55% 46% 47% 31% Average 53.4% 49.4% 41.8% 28.5% Only one practice – Grimshaw – has a majority of women among its highest-earners. At Grimshaw women make up 57 per cent of employees in the upper-half of earners, but just 44.3 per cent of the lower half.  Advertisement Corstophine + Wright has a majority (58 per cent) of women among its lowest quartile of earners, but a large majority of men at all other levels, with just 10 per cent of its highest quartile of earners being women.  Simon Jones, group operations director at Corstophine + Wright, said: ‘We recognise that our median gender pay gap is currently higher than the industry average, which is a reflection of our fast-paced growth through mergers, many involving male-led practices. ‘While the median doesn’t reflect equal pay for equal roles, which we rigorously uphold, we know representation at senior levels must improve. We’re committed to long-term change and proud to be making progress through the hard work of our environment, social and governance committee.’ 2025-04-08 Will Ing comment and share