Women and super
closing the gap

On average, women aged 60-64 retire with around 25.7% less super than men.¹ And because they live five years longer², their super has to stretch further.

Recent research shows just how stark the confidence gap is for women approaching retirement. Only 41% of Australian women feel financially prepared for retirement, compared to 59% of men.³ Women are also significantly more worried than men about having enough super for retirement, and many doubt that they’ll be able to afford the lifestyle they want.⁴

The gender super gap is structural

Women’s lower super balances reflect long‑standing structural issues that shape women’s working lives. Research from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) shows that women typically earn less over their careers, take more time out of the workforce for parental leave and are more likely to work in part‑time roles, often to care for others.⁵

Women earn less

While there's been some momentum in closing the pay gap, according to the WGEA, the average total remuneration gender pay gap was 21.1% in 2024-25.⁶ This means on average, for every $1 men earned in Australia, women earned 79 cents. Over a year, this added up to an average pay difference between men and women of $28,356.⁷

Catching up is difficult

Taking time off work means women miss out on receiving regular super contributions, which can make it even harder to close the super gap.

Divorced women are even more disadvantaged. Even if a woman works full time instead of part time after divorcing at 50, her retirement income may still be lower. By age 67, her super balance may be slightly higher, but her annual retirement income could be around 13% lower due to the loss of shared resources with a partner.⁸

According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), a single woman would need $595,000 for a comfortable retirement, which would provide an annual retirement income of approximately $54,240.⁹ This would enable a standard of living that includes regular leisure activities, some domestic and occasional international travel, and top private health insurance.¹⁰

Try our Retirement Projection Calculator 

Use our Retirement Projection Calculator to see if you’re on track for a comfortable retirement. Answer a few simple questions and our calculator can estimate how much super you could have at retirement. It can also help you make informed decisions about your super. 

It’s never too late – or too early – to take some simple steps so you can be in control of your retirement savings and build the retirement you want and deserve.

1. Get to know your super‍

It might be easy to just ‘set and forget’ your super but taking a quick look at your payslip and your Hostplus account could help bridge the gap. Here are some quick tips: 

• Check your payslip to make sure you’re getting the right amount of super paid by your employer. The Superannuation Guarantee (SG) rate is 12% of your gross salary.  
• Log in to Member Online to check if you have insurance cover with your super. You can also see if you’re paying for the right cover.  

2. Find your lost super

If you’ve switched jobs, moved, or changed your name, you  could have lost super waiting to be found. Learn how to track it down and put it to work for your future.

3. Consolidate your super

Consider consolidating your super into one account. Why? By consolidating your accounts, you could reduce the fees you pay which can affect your account balance at retirement.  

Before you consolidate your super accounts into one it’s important to:

• compare the fees and performance of each fund 
• check other features of each fund, like access to financial advice or online account access  
• check whether you’ll lose any benefits or be charged a fee for closing an account
• remember if you do close a super account, you’ll lose any insurance attached to that account.

You may find it beneficial to obtain advice from a licensed financial adviser. Explore your advice options

4. Review your investment options with Hostplus

When your Hostplus account is first set up, your contributions to your super are invested in the Balanced (MySuper) option unless you tell us otherwise. This option aims to grow your super over the long term by investing in a portfolio that has a stronger focus on growth assets. 

If you'd prefer to take a more hands-on approach, you can also choose from our wide range of  investment options with different levels of risk and return targets.

The way your super is invested can make a big difference to your nest egg by the time you’re ready to retire.

When deciding which option is right for you, it’s important to carefully consider factors such as your financial objectives, risk appetite, age, and investment time frame. You may find it beneficial to obtain advice from a licensed financial adviser. Explore your advice options

5. Consider making extra contributions

Your employer contributions are important. You can also add extra contributions on top of what your employer pays, to help grow your super balance.

No matter how large or small, extra contributions can make a big difference over time. Starting at any age could help build your balance with the benefit of compound returns. Find out more about compound returns

Examples of extra super contributions include: 

• After-tax contributions  
  These are also known as non-concessional contributions. You can make extra payments to your super using your take-home pay or savings in your bank account. How much and how often you make these contributions is up to you, but annual limits apply. 
• Spouse contributions and splitting 
  Tax offsets may apply for a spouse who contributes super on behalf of a low-income earning or non-working spouse. Your spouse can also divert some of their super contributions to your super account. Eligibility terms apply. 
• Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset (LISTO) 
  Low-income earners may be eligible to receive a refund into their super account of the tax paid on their eligible super contributions, up to a cap of $500. 
• Government co-contributions 
  If you’re a low or middle-income earner and make after-tax super contributions, you may be eligible to receive a co-contribution into your super from the government of up to $500.  
• Salary sacrifice 
  Contributions to your super from your before-tax salary are taxed at 15%, lower than most people’s personal tax rate. Limits apply. 

6. Nominate a beneficiary

Nominating a beneficiary can help your super, pension or any insurance benefits go to the right person, or people, after you pass away.  This can provide you with peace of mind that you're continuing to look after your loved ones.

It's also important to check your nominated beneficiaries from time to time to make sure they still reflect your current circumstances. Learn more about beneficiaries here. 

7. Expecting a baby?

Hostplus members can apply for premium-free insurance cover during parental leave.¹¹ This means if you have Death, Total and Permanent Disablement, or Income Protection cover, you can keep it for up to 12 months without any premiums being deducted from your super. Learn more about the parental leave premium waiver here.