Getting women into high paying industries like mining is the key to closing West Australia's gender pay gap, according to gender pay analysts.

The latest data from the Workplace Gender Data Equality Agency shows the national gender pay gap has worsened in the last six months, widening from 13.8 per cent to 14.2 per cent. 

According to the government agency, while WA's gap closed slightly in the last year — from 22.7 per cent to 21.9 per cent—the state maintains the worst pay disparity rate in the country, with the average West Australian man earning $23,000 more a year than the average West Australian woman.

Agency director Mary Wooldridge told ABC radio WA's pay disparity was largely because high-earning, male-dominated industries like mining and construction have been booming in the state.

"It's very much driven by the fact that mining is such a big part of your industry in WA," she said.

"Mining has a very significant gender pay gap of 17 per cent," she said.

Ms Wooldridge said while the pay gap in mining was significant, women's average weekly earnings in the mining industry were higher than in any other sector.

Women in industry key

Ms Wooldridge said encouraging women into high-paying industries like mining was key to achieving gender pay parity.

She said it was imperative companies recruited women at all levels — from mine sites to boardrooms.

"The mining industry is 88 per cent men, so having more women moving into those industries where they have access to higher pay, but also women moving into more senior roles as well, so they can get the benefits of those higher incomes [is key]," Ms Wooldridge said.

"We need to remove gender stereotypes in terms of our workforces.