Male Uber drivers earn more than their female counterparts because they drive faster, new analysis has found.

A study by Stanford and Chicago Universities, commissioned by the company, revealed that the average 2.2 per cent faster speeds of the male drivers accounted for around half of the earnings gap.

Men also earn more because they stay with the company longer, which increases the value of their pay, according to the research.

It follows months of accusations against the company alleging gender discrimination and workplace sexual harassment, which saw the resignation of co-founder Travis Kalanick as chief executive in June.

Revelations of a gender pay gap in the gig economy are thought to be particularly shocking because the format should be able to overcome the lack of flexibility in traditional workplaces which drives much pay disparity.

Data gathered from the National Highway Travel Survey in the US indicates that a gender gap in driving speeds exists across the population, not just among taxi services, however the Uber payment system was designed to reward faster driving, the researchers said.