This is the one industry where women earn more than men

Clue: it's to do with social media
Top influencer: Zoella
Instagram/@zoella
Disha Daswaney3 May 2017

While the gender pay gap is still a big problem in the UK - there is one industry at least where women are already outperforming men.

Instead of waiting until the gap closes in 2041, women should choose a career in social media.

New research conducted found that women earn 35 per cent more than men if they use their social media feeds as a marketing channel.

There is no doubting that in the last few years, being an 'influencer' has become an increasingly popular and lucrative occupation. The new wave of celebrities are the likes of Zoella and Tanya Burr - so step aside Kim Kardashian and Rihanna.

Fashion and lifestyle influencers are leading the way in this field, posting anything from the latest beauty finds to the most luxurious travel spots.

The study also found that a female influencer with 100,000 followers can earn up to £41,600 from just two sponsored posts a week, whereas a male influencer would earn more like £31,200 for the same efforts. For women, this is 51 per cent more than the average salary of £27,500 for full-time employees.

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Ben Jeffries, founder of Influencer, which carried out the study, was surprised by the results.

He told Sky News: "'It's no surprise that influential individuals on social media are monetising their social feeds - they have been doing so for some years now - but it is a surprise to see that female influencers are commanding higher fees than their male counterparts, flipping the traditional pay gap on its head.''

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