Despite years of efforts to close the gender pay gap, women continue to earn 15 percent less, on average, than men and aren't expected to achieve equal pay for another quarter century. This disparity adds up to millions of dollars of lost financial benefits for women, according to an analysis by advisory firm Josh Bersin Company, which examined real-world pay policies at 113 U.S. organizations.

Female managers fare somewhat better than non-managers, with a pay gap of about 10 percent, the study found. This group will still need about 15 years to close the gap.

Counter to a prevailing theory that the gender salary imbalance is closely tied to organizations hiring more women for traditionally 'female roles' that are historically lower paid, the study found that women earn about 10 percent less than their male counterparts for the exact same roles, and the disparity persists through managerial and executive-level positions.