Our 2025 pay gap report has now been published, setting out Imperial’s latest analysis of gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps across the university.
Pay gaps are often misunderstood. They are not about ‘equal pay for equal work’, because they combine information about a wide variety of types of work. Rather, each is a single statistic describing a single feature of the overall distribution of earnings across our workforce.
Pay gaps reflect differences in the representation of two groups across the different grades and levels in our job families. They can help to highlight structural imbalances or issues with progression, which can only be understood and addressed through further analysis.
The low representation of some groups at more senior levels also means that significant movements in pay gaps can result from changes involving relatively small numbers of individuals. For this reason, it is essential to focus on longer-term trends rather than year-to-year fluctuations, and this report should be read alongside the yearly data published on our website to understand that trajectory.
Put another way, pay gaps provide a useful challenge by raising important questions, but they cannot, on their own, provide the answers or determine the actions we should take.
This year’s figures illustrate some of these dynamics. The fact that all three median pay gaps decreased by around 3% is welcome news. The mean average presents a mixed picture: for gender, it increased by 1%; for ethnicity, it decreased by almost 2%; and for disability, it increased by more than 3%.
Beyond these headline figures, we have undertaken extensive analysis of recruitment, retention and career progression. This work helps us understand not just how the gaps arise, but why they persist, and where focused action can make the greatest difference. It confirms that pay gaps at Imperial are driven primarily by under-representation at the most senior levels, particularly within the academic pipeline and the highest professional services grades.
Addressing this requires sustained commitment. Through initiatives such as our Race Equality Charter and Athena Swan action plans, alongside renewed local strategies, we are continuing to build pathways that support talent, widen opportunity and strengthen inclusion.
People are the foundation of Imperial’s success. Creating an environment where everyone can achieve their potential is essential to our mission as a global university. Closing our pay gaps is not simply a matter of reporting; it is part of our broader responsibility to ensure that excellence and opportunity are accessible to all.
Further details on our data and actions can be found in the full report and accompanying People statistics.
Best wishes,
Professor Peter Haynes, Provost and Deputy President, and Kathryn Al-Shemmeri, Chief People Officer
More information
- What is the gender pay gap?
- What is the ethnicity pay gap?
- What is the disability pay gap?
- Reasons for our pay gaps?
The gender pay gap measures the difference in average hourly pay between men and women across the university, expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. It differs from equal pay, which concerns men and women being paid the same for doing the same or equivalent work.
The 2025 figures show that Imperial’s median gender pay gap decreased slightly from 10.3% in 2024 to 7.4% in 2025. The mean gender pay gap has increased slightly, from 14.8% in 2024 to 15.8% in 2025.
Gender pay gap reporting is a legal requirement for UK employers with more than 250 employees, and Imperial publishes its figures annually as part of its commitment to transparency and to addressing pay disparities across the organisation.
While ethnicity pay gap reporting is still voluntary, Imperial has published details of its ethnicity pay gaps since 2018. Figures for 2025 show that the gap between the median hourly pay of Black and Minority Ethnic group (BAME) and the White ethnic group (which includes White Other) at Imperial has decreased from 13.2% in 2024 to 10.2%.
The gap between the mean hourly pay of Black and Minority Ethnic group (BAME) and the White ethnic group at Imperial has also decreased since last year, from 19.5% to 17.7%.
Imperial pay gaps are predominantly due to an underrepresentation of women, BAME, and disabled colleagues employed in the senior levels of Imperial, particularly the academic grades and also within Levels 6 and 7 in the Professional Services job family. This is reflected in the current Imperial representation in the upper quartiles.
The existence of the pay gaps does not mean that the university has an equal pay problem.
Imperial published its first disability pay gap reporting in 2024. The disability pay gap highlights the median hourly pay gap between disabled and non-disabled employees across the university.
There is also no law requiring employers to calculate and report on Disability Pay Gaps, and no formal Government guidance exists in this area (unlike for the Ethnicity Pay Gap, where guidance does exist).
The 2025 reporting shows that our median disability pay gap decreased from 7.6% to 4.6%, while the mean gap increased from 8.2% to 11.9%.
The primary reason for our pay gaps is the underrepresentation of women, BAME, and disabled colleagues in senior roles across Imperial. This is most evident within academic grades and within Levels 6 and 7 of the Professional Services job family, which constitute the highest‑paying grades. Consequently, these groups are less represented in the upper pay quartiles.
It is important to note that the presence of pay gaps does not necessarily indicate an equal pay issue at the university.
Over the years, Imperial has implemented many initiatives to address the broad concept of equal representation at all levels. The 'Initiatives and Projects' link below provides more information on the approach we have taken this year.
What are the figures we've reported?
Like all other large organisations, Imperial has reported data across several elements: gender, ethnicity, and disability quartiles; mean and median pay gaps; and bonuses. You can access the data through the links below for the Gender, Ethnicity, and Disability pay gaps.