THERE are still huge gender and racial inequalities in the workplace.

This is according to the results of the third annual Careers24 Salary Survey released this week.

The study - based on responses from 13583 online respondents - explored remuneration trends and employee perceptions towards organisational corporate climate and its influence on retention, performance and engagement.

The survey found that overall, studying for diplomas was by far the most popular (30,81percent). This was against undergraduate degrees (16,10percent) and technical certificate studies(3,65percent).

More blacks than Indians and whites enter the job market with diplomas.

"It's a function of both affordability as well as exposure to role models. Primarily most blacks get into the market early to augment family income and also because their families cannot afford to put them through higher education.

"Secondly, most blacks' aspirational threshold is limited because of the absence of role models in their communities. The truth is that most models of success, especially in the townships, are taxi owners, corner grocers or kwaito musicians, none of which require matric to occupy.

"Without further exposure to higher success, the incentive to do matric is low," said Lovemore Nyatsine of Seedbed, a leadership and organisational development firm.

Once in the job market, men earn on average 65percent more than women, regardless of location, level, qualification or age.

Nyatsine said: "This is because the capitalist world is hugely patriarchal and male dominated. It will improve, but with time."

While whites are the highest earners from age 31, with the average salary being R19998 compared to blacks (R17296), Indians (R14099) and coloureds (R13489), black managers over 50 have the most earning potential, at about R28000 compared to whites at R25500.

Government and the media top the list of the worst employers, while the best working environments are in engineering, insurance, agriculture and mining.