Male directors in the public sector are 10% more likely to take home a bonus, according to new figures.

The data, published by CMI (Chartered Management Institute) and XpertHR, showed that while female directors in the public sector take home larger bonuses then their male counterparts (£5,714, compared to £5,260 for men), only 42% took a bonus home in the last 12 months.

The data also showed that male directors' earnings rose 5.3% over the last year, compared to 1.1% for female directors.

More women than men are embarking on executive careers, with 64.3% of entry-level staff being female. However, at middle-management levels, 44.3% are female and less than a quarter (24.1%) of board directors are women.

Ann Francke, CMI chief executive said: ‘Despite genuine efforts to get more women onto boards, it's disappointing to find that not only has progress stalled, but women are also losing ground at senior levels.  Women are the majority of the workforce at entry level but still lose out on top positions and top pay. The time has come to tackle this situation more systemically.'

The data shows that nationally, the gender pay gap increases with each rung of the management ladder in the sector.