Women in the UK technology industry are paid on average 16% less than men, according to survey data from the Korn Ferry Hay Group.

The data surveyed more than 750 organisations and found that the technology sector had the largest ‘like-for-like’ gender pay gap in the UK, with women being paid 6% less for doing the same job. Researchers pointed to a lack of women holding senior positions in technology companies as a key cause for the divide.

Ben Frost, Global Product Manager for Korn Ferry Hay Group said, "The tech sector is admired for encouraging innovation at work and fostering flexible working processes, yet it must do more to institutionalise a culture where women can thrive. Of course, this issue would be much easier to solve if women in tech weren't such a rarity. The industry has a bad reputation for advancing women and for being dominated by men.

Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates, an independent coalition of more than 4,000 technology experts in the capital, said the gender pay gap was "unacceptable" to the industry.

"A lack of diversity remains a challenge the tech sector still hasn't found an answer to," Shaw said. "Not only is the gender pay gap socially unacceptable, it is driving women away from one of the UK's fastest growing industries. Tech leaders need to recognise that enough is enough. Diverse work forces encourage innovation, revenue growth and product quality."

Shaw also warned that the rapid growth of the sector could be undermined if the current inequality continued.

Virgin Media's Chief People Officer Catherine Lynch, also commented, "The future of our industry depends on finding the best talent, and we need to build workforces that are more diverse and inclusive," she said. Lynch added that encouraging more women into the sector at a young age was vital to its success.