THE pay gap for male and female university graduates is growing, with figures showing the difference in salary more than doubled last year.

A study released by the Australian government's Workplace Gender Equality Agency found that the median gap in starting annual salaries for graduates increased from $2000 in 2011 to $5000 last year.

In architecture and building occupations the disparity was largest, with 17.3 per cent. The starting salary for male graduates was $52,000, compared with $43,000 for women.

Female dentistry graduates earned about 15.7 per cent, or $14,000, less than men, whose median starting salary was $92,000.