SYDNEY - Average top-tier female managers expect to earn 100,000 Australian dollars ($73,000) less than their male counterparts.

Research conducted by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Center and Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), also discovered that increasing the amount of women on boards from zero to half, reduced the gender pay gap by 6.3 percentage points.

It was noted that managerial gender pay gaps are smaller in male-dominated industries than female-dominated industries.

Australian Workforce Diversity Specialist, Conrad Liveris, said Australian businesses have progressively taken an interest in economic inequality between both men and women, particularly over the past five years.

"Good businesses are uncovering where the gaps in remuneration and promotion lie, and are taking proactive steps to counteract them."

"While the number of women in management and leadership remains low, effort is clearly going in the right direction," he said.

There were many contributing factors to gender pay gaps, including discrimination, according to report author, Curtin Economics Centre Associate Professor Rebecca Cassells.

"Large and persistent gender pay gaps amongst managers suggest behaviors at senior levels of Australian organisations that result in preferential recruitment and wage treatment of men over women," she said.

"This is further evidenced by the greater additional remuneration that men receive, compared to women, beyond their base salary in the form of bonuses and other discretionary pay."