Male managers at the top of their game in Australia earn $162,000 more on average than their female counterparts, according to disturbing research from the Australian Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

The top 10% of best-paid men in leadership roles received a salary of $598,745, while the best-paid women earned $436,369, according to the data, which was compiled and analysed by the Curtin Economics Centre.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency director Libby Lyons said employers need to take action. “The evidence is there and we must keep pushing hard to break down the barriers women still face in Australian workplaces,” said Lyons.

Based on current growth patterns, it could take 80 years before there is the same number of female CEOs and male CEOs in Australia, according to the research, which is based on responses from more than 4,500 employers.

“Women still face an additional barrier in terms of the pay that they can access when moving into management roles, and the number of female CEOs is increasing far too slowly, with parity not expected anytime this century,” said Professor Rebecca Cassells, the author of the report.

The pay gap was less significant at lower levels of management, but women still earned $A31,000 less than their male colleagues.

The sectors with the biggest pay gap were the rental hiring and real estate industries, while the mining, manufacturing and utilities sectors have been increasing the number of female managers they have.

Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.