DCMS gender pay gap report 2025
Published 16 December 2025
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Introduction
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) is committed to reducing the gender pay gap. Our approach to pay and bonuses seeks to reward all staff fairly, regardless of gender.
We have prepared this report as part of the legal requirement for public authorities to publish their gender pay gap on an annual basis. Greater transparency and accountability is key to enabling us as an organisation to demonstrate our commitment to equality, attract the best talent and boost staff engagement.
DCMS’ headcount for all employees in scope for the calculations on the 31 March 2025 snapshot date was 1,054, an increase from 971 since the previous year. These employees were identified as ‘full pay relevant employees’ as set out in the regulations, and included in the calculations. This included 59.9% women. On the same date, the Department had 70 full time equivalent Senior Civil Servants (SCS) in scope, 57.1% of whom were women.
Closing the gender pay gap completely is a long-term, ongoing effort. Our strategy involves establishing and evaluating annual equality, diversity, and inclusion priorities and success metrics to ensure continuous progress. Our policies, including flexible working arrangements and enhanced maternity leave, are not only crucial for attracting and retaining talented women within DCMS, but they also contribute significantly to nurturing an inclusive employee experience for all. By supporting work-life balance, DCMS empowers women to thrive in their careers while ensuring a supportive and equitable environment that benefits the entire workforce.
Gender pay gap 2025
The gender pay gap shows the difference in pay between men and women in the workforce. If a workforce has a particularly high gender pay gap, this can indicate that there may be a number of issues to deal with, and the individual calculations may help to identify what those issues are.
The gender pay gap is different to equal pay. Equal pay is a statutory requirement for employers rendering it unlawful to pay men and women different salaries, who carry out the same jobs, similar jobs or work of equal value.
The gender pay gap is based on hourly pay excluding overtime. Hourly pay is the sum of ordinary pay and any bonus pay that was paid in the pay period which ends on 31 March 2025. The mean gender pay gap is the difference between the average pay for women and average pay for men. The median gender pay gap is the difference between the hourly rate of pay for the median female and the hourly rate of pay for the median male.
In 2025, the mean gender pay gap was 2.6% and the median gender pay gap was 5.2%, both narrower than the average for the Civil Service. These pay gaps were slightly higher than in 2024 (up from 2.4% and 2.5% respectively), but remain substantially lower than they were in 2018 when reporting began.
At DCMS, we have had a consistent focus on reducing our gender pay gap since our first report in 2018, identifying areas that can contribute to improvements such as recruitment, reward and talent management. Whilst the gap has widened marginally compared to last year, our overall trajectory since 2018 suggests our actions to close the gap are largely having a positive impact. Subsequently, we believe long term-sustained actions and continuous monitoring and refinement of these will help us to close our gender pay gap further over time.
Figure 1: 2025 Pay quartiles
| Gender | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 38.3% | 61.7% | 100% |
| Q2 | 39.2% | 60.8% | 100% |
| Q3 | 40.9% | 59.1% | 100% |
| Q4 | 42.2% | 57.8% | 100% |
Note: Pay quartiles are calculated by listing the department’s hourly wages in ascending order and then splitting this list into four equal parts, showing the gender balance at each quartile. Those with the lowest hourly wages make up pay quartile 1 and those with the highest hourly wages quartile 4.
Analysis of gender pay gap
DCMS has a higher proportion of women than men overall, and the department continues to have a higher representation of women than men at SCS, with more women than men in all 4 grades at this level. However, women continue to be over-represented in the lower pay quartile.
The median gender pay gap is based on the wage of the middle-earning man compared to the middle-earning woman. Unlike the mean, the median pay gap can fluctuate more due to factors such as variations in professional allowances. The mean gender pay gap, which is calculated using the average hourly pay of men and women, has improved consistently since reporting began, but has risen slightly by 0.2 percentage points to 2.6% in 2025. The median gender pay gap has risen from 2.5% in 2024, to 5.2% in 2025, although it remains significantly lower than the 2018 figure of 22.9%. In 2024, both our male and female median employees were in Grade 7 roles, however in 2025, our median male is on the lower pay band for Grade 7, and our median female is at the upper pay band for a Senior Executive Officer.
Our current turnover rate is 10.1% (annualised as of October 2025). One of DCMS’ strategies for retention of staff involves helping employees progress up the pay band as well as offering professional allowances for skilled new joiners. This may also impact the median score, as it is dependent on the individual’s circumstances at the moment of data capture.
Figure 2: DCMS gender pay gap trend
| GPG | Mean GPG | Median GPG |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 7.5% | 22.9% |
| 2019 | 5.6% | 16.6% |
| 2020 | 2.7% | 10.6% |
| 2021 | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 3.3% | 9.8% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | 1.6% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| 2025 | 2.6% | 5.2% |
Figure 2 demonstrates the trend in our mean and median pay gaps. From 2020 to 2021 the median was showing a downward trend, however it increased in 2022, dropped in 2023 and has increased in the last two years. We observe a mostly positive trend for the mean which has steadily declined since 2021, with a slight increase this year.
Figure 3: 2025 DCMS gender balance at each grade
| Staff | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCS PB4 (1) | 0.0% | 100% | 100% |
| SCS PB3 (2) | 0.0% | 100% | 100% |
| SCS PB2 (18) | 44.4% | 55.6% | 100% |
| SCS PB1 (49) | 44.9% | 55.1% | 100% |
| Grade 6 (138) | 42.0% | 58.0% | 100% |
| Grade 7 (343) | 40.8% | 59.2% | 100% |
| SEO (155) | 39.4% | 60.6% | 100% |
| HEO (247) | 38.9% | 61.1% | 100% |
| EO (97) | 38.1% | 61.9% | 100% |
| AO (0) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| AO/AA (4) | 25.0% | 75.0% | 100% |
At SCS, the mean pay gap favours women at -0.96%, driven particularly by the pay of women in the two highest-earning roles (including one job share), and the median pay gap favours men at 2.7%. For delegated grades, the mean and median pay gaps favour men at 2.6% and 3.7% respectively. We would expect SCS averages to fluctuate more than overall figures due to the lower numbers of SCS staff.
Overall, we are confident that our pay strategy is non-discriminatory in its design. One driver of the pay gap is the distribution of grades within our workforce, specifically the higher proportion of women in more junior roles.
Gender bonus gap analysis
DCMS continuously aims to ensure a strong gender balance in the values and proportion of those receiving non-consolidated bonuses. Our delegated in year reward scheme has contributed to the improvement in the gender bonus gap and evidence has shown greater inclusivity than having a solely end of year scheme. The scheme empowers a greater number of nominations by allowing anyone to nominate any eligible delegated employee for a reward. The timing of the awards enables recognition to come sooner which is shown to increase engagement. The new scheme uses a consistent set of criteria and fixed reward values.
Figure 4: DCMS gender bonus gap trend
| GPG | Mean bonus GPG | Median bonus GPG |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.20% | -14.30% |
| 2021 | -14.70% | -38.10% |
| 2022 | -0.20% | -8.30% |
| 2023 | -6.4% | -5.00% |
| 2024 | -5.20% | 0.00% |
| 2025 | 3.83% | 0.00% |
In 2024, the median female employee received an equal bonus amount as the median male employee, and this has remained the same for 2025. In 2024, the mean bonus gap favoured women by 5.2%. However, the gap for 2025 shows a reversal, now favouring men by 3.83%.
The overall DCMS mean bonus pay gap is 3.83% in favour of men. However, when measured separately, the mean bonus pay gap favours women by -3.12% at the SCS level and -0.71% for delegated grades. While this may seem counterintuitive, we see this because bonuses are on average higher for SCS, and a higher proportion of the men in receipt of a bonus are in the SCS compared to the proportion of women (5.7% of the men in receipt of bonuses are in the SCS, compared to 3.9% for women). The median bonus pay gaps favour men for SCS (10.0%) and women for delegated grades (-5.9%).
In smaller departments such as DCMS, even a few individuals’ bonuses can shift the average noticeably from year to year. One high bonus going to a man or woman can skew the mean.
Fluctuations in the average bonus gap can stem from year-to-year shifts in the composition of the workforce, even without any systematic changes. For instance, staff turnover at senior levels (where bonuses are typically higher), the hiring or departure of employees eligible for bonuses, and changes in maternity/paternity leave patterns can all impact the reported average bonus gap.
Figure 5: DCMS proportion of women and men receiving a bonus
| Year | % men receiving a bonus | % women receiving a bonus |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 38.20% | 45.80% |
| 2019 | 60.04% | 60.32% |
| 2020 | 56.00% | 58.30% |
| 2021 | 54.40% | 49.90% |
| 2022 | 81.10% | 79.50% |
| 2023 | 77.43% | 77.28% |
| 2024 | 78.20% | 75.00% |
| 2025 | 86.45% | 82.98% |
Figure 5 shows that in 2025, a higher percentage of employees, both male and female, are receiving a bonus than in previous years. Distributing rewards more widely helps ensure more employees feel their contribution is recognised and fairly compensated. This boost to satisfaction and overall morale contributes to a more inclusive workplace environment where all employees feel valued.
Summary of actions
DCMS adopts an evidence-led, data-driven approach to inclusion. We are committed to narrowing our gender pay gap and are actively implementing the following actions.
Attraction
Our application process is anonymised, meaning the names and personal details of applicants are hidden. Recruitment data consistently shows more female hires than male, with 53.2% females passing sift compared to 41.5% males in 2024 to 2025. This trend has been observed for several years. However the applicant gender gap is now the narrowest it has been since 2019 to 2020.
Our recruitment policies and selection guidance maintain the following as standard:
- A ‘Questions in Advance’ interview approach to reduce barriers that could benefit candidates who have had time out of the workplace or have lower confidence levels in a traditional interview situation.
- Inclusive language in job adverts and attraction materials.
- External by default recruitment for Grade 6 and SCS roles/availability of all working patterns. In the last 12 months, 100% of vacancies offered flexible working, 94% offered job share and 24% offered part time. 83% were advertised externally.
- Diverse interview panels, with vacancy holder training.
- Application and interview guidance sessions talking through how to apply for Civil Service/DCMS roles. These benefit candidates who are new to, or have had time out of the workplace, or have lower confidence levels.
- An internal 1-1 application/interview support session called ‘Elevate’, designed to help staff progress in their career paths.
A strong career pathway
We have a range of ongoing actions and initiatives in place, which includes:
- colleagues at all grades having access to staff networks to support them throughout their careers and progression.
- shadow Board opportunities for colleagues to inform and influence senior decision-making and increase individuals’ exposure and experience.
- active sponsorship, coaching and mentoring to increase visibility and advocacy and support development needs.
- opportunities to apply for accelerated development programmes such as ‘Beyond Boundaries’, and the Future Leaders Scheme, with specific seats reserved for underrepresented groups.
- a structured approach to career development using our Learn & Grow methodology.
- partnership with the award winning career development company ‘Amazing If’, led by two inspiring women, providing exclusive content for DCMS employees helping to overcome perceived barriers to development.
- an AI Career development companion which is due to be launched in upcoming months, which provides tailored and relevant interactive career support to our teams.
Promoting a family friendly DCMS
DCMS actively promote:
- flexible, hybrid working, job-sharing, and part-time working to support employees with caring responsibilities and encourage a good work-life balance. Many of our senior leaders utilise these working arrangements and speak openly about it through blogs and events. Awareness and support of those with caring responsibilities is embedded into all our HR policies.
- Shared Parental Leave (SPL), to provide parents with more flexibility in how to share time off work after their child is born or placed for adoption, we encourage and support a shared parental leave policy that exceeds statutory provisions throughout the department.
Inclusive culture
- DCMS employees are all able to join one of 19 active staff networks, including Gender Equality, Parenting, Carers and Ability. These networks are supported by the department to provide information and guidance on the menopause, menstrual cycle tracking, caring for SEND children as well as a buddy system for those returning from leave. The networks have regular contact with HR, allowing us to use staff insights alongside our structured data sources, providing a clearer picture of the employee experience.
- We carry out an analysis of inclusion by protected characteristic, including gender annually using the results of our People Survey. This informs targeted action at departmental and directorate level.
- We have a Wellbeing Hub on the intranet to bring together a range of tools and resources which support staff with their wellbeing.
- We introduced a new Abrasive Behaviour, Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination (ABHD) reporting tool to allow employees to report anonymously and identify any areas of concern on a directorate level.
- We reviewed our Behaviour and Conduct policy with a lean into sexual harassment guidance linked to new legislation. Additionally, we introduced a new neonatal leave policy allowing up to 12 weeks paid leave to both parents. In the next year, we will review our full parental leave offer to introduce IVF and breastfeeding guidance.
We will maintain our commitment to monitoring and tracking the effects of our ongoing, long-standing efforts on representation, progression, and gender pay parity over the next year. Furthermore, we will implement new actions derived from the insights gained through our ongoing analysis.
Declaration
We confirm that data reported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is accurate and has been calculated according to the requirements and methodology set out in the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017.
Andrew Faulkner, Director for People and Workplace
Susannah Storey, Permanent Secretary
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
4th Floor, 100 Parliament Street
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