Women may be a fast-growing segment of the gamer demographic, but their status on the development side remains underrepresented. According to a new salary survey conducted by UK gaming magazine Develop, women account for just 6 percent of developers working in the British Isles.

In a world where Peach is helpless to save herself…

Of the 582 respondents to the 2012 Develop Salary Survey, only 35 were women. Factoring in tangential professions such as publishing, marketing, and retail, 11 percent of the 1,000-person sample were women.

Develop's salary survey found that female game developers in the UK earn on average £3,000 ($4,681) less than their male counterparts, despite having more experience. Focusing on the design profession, where the majority of female developers fell, Develop found the median salary for women was £26,944 ($42,053).

By contrast, the median salary for men over a similar geographic and age demographic came in at £31,935 ($49,843). This, despite Develop's findings that women surveyed had on average three-to-five years' experience, as opposed to men's two to three.

Develop also reported that not a single female surveyed reported earning more than £90,000 ($140,442), while 18 men said they did.

Incorporating both men and women, the average UK games industry salary came in at £34,457 ($53,783), up 7 percent year-over-year. This figure excludes executive-class earners, such as CEOs, creative directors, and studio heads. When those professions are factored in, the average rises to £37,407 ($58,387), according to Develop.

For comparison, Game Developer magazine reported last April that US industry professionals earned on average $81,000 in 2010.