The country's top charities are paying higher salaries to female CEOs than to their male counterparts, according to new research.

acevo's 2005 remuneration survey also reveals that almost half of chief executives take a pay cut to move into the sector, and do so because they find the individual job interesting.

The survey, based on the completed responses from 716 chief executives of charities, showed that in charities with over £25 million of income, women are paid an average salary of £105,000, compared to an average salary of £91,950 for men.

In charities with income between £15 million and £25 million, the comparison is £78,817 to £76,650. However, in the sector as a whole, women earn on average £44,242, significantly less than the average salary for men of £53,175.

The average salary overall for chief executives of organisations with income over £25 million is £94,000, compared with £110,000 in the private sector.

Nearly half of chief executives previously worked in the public sector, and almost a third came from the private sector. Just under 50 per cent took a salary drop to move into the voluntary sector.

Gail Scott-Spicer, deputy chief executive of acevo, said: "It is striking that the senior women in the major charities now earn more than their male counterparts. It's a world away from current practice in the commercial and public sectors. The competitive salaries we are now able to offer reflect the sector's growing professionalism. It's time to stop apologising for them."