Do Pretty People Earn More?
Posted in Salaries & Benefits
Studies show that good looking students receive more attention from their teachers than their less pretty and consequently less popular classmates, which makes you mad because you are smarter, right?. Attractive patients get more personal care from their doctors than other the less attractive sick. And even handsome criminals get lighter sentences than their not-as-handsome inmates.
Beauty and the Workplace
What about at work? Does this mean the beautiful people earn more? Sa but true. According to Daniel Hamermesh and Jeff Biddle, economics professors of the University of Texas and Michigan State University respectively, the ugly truth is that more attractive people earn the most. While the 'okay' looking men and women earn about 3 to 8 percent less than them. And the, ahem, not-so-blessed with good looks earn even less - at 5 to 10 percent less than the average looking people.
These findings correspond with other research that shows the penalty for being homely exceeds the premium for beautiful. Also, it shows that in almost all occupations, the effects are greater for men than women.
Pretty Boys
In a study conducted by the London Guildhall University involving 11,000 33-year-old people, the results showed that homely men earn about 15 percent less than their attractive counterparts. For women, the less attractive ones earn 11 percent less than their prettier counterparts.
Hamermesh and Biddle wrote in their report "Beauty, Productivity and Discrimination: Lawyers', Looks and Lucre," that the probability of a male attorney attaining an early partnership directly correlates to how handsome he is. And it is not only attractiveness that is important. It has been found that height matters too.
Tall Tale
Two professors, one from the University of Florida and the other from the University of North Carolina, conducted a study and found that tall people earn considerably more money - all throughout their careers - than their shorter co-workers. The study shows that each inch adds about $789 a year in pay.
In a survey involving male graduates of the University of Pittsburgh, it was found that the tallest students' average salary was 12 percent higher than their shorter colleagues'.
Hard-wired
The London Guildhall University's study also showed that overweight women are more likely to be unemployed. Those who are employed earn five percent less than their slimmer counterparts.
Doctor Gordon Patzer, who has spent 30 years studying and writing about physical attractiveness, says that human beings are hard-wired to respond more favorably to attractive people. Even studies of babies show they will look more intently and longer at prettier faces. The discovery channel did a feature on this and came up with the same conclusion.
Dr. Patzer also adds that "Good-looking men and women are generally judged to be more talented, kind, honest and intelligent than their less attractive counterparts". Patzer further explains this point by saying that "Controlled studies show people go out of their way to help attractive people - of the same and opposite sex - because they want to be liked and accepted by good-looking people."
Success!
If this article has caused you to lose all hope, then read this: Despite what all this research is telling us, some of the world's most successful people are ordinary looking at best. Plus, business giants are also of average height. Hard to believe? Here are some examples: Bill Gates - 5'9½. Jack Welch - 5'8". Ross Perot - 5'7.
To add to this, the beautiful people complain that they lose out on jobs because people assume that they are - ahem- vacuous or "lightweights". This may sound a bit contradictory, but to reconcile with all the research, hiring managers say that it is the 'appearance' of confidence that they find attractive and not the presence of physical beauty. Also, managers argue that attractiveness has more to do with how you carry yourself and the energy your exude rather that having a beautiful face or a great physique.
Gain Confidence
Gordon Wainright author of Teach Yourself Body Language, says that anyone can be attractive. To increase attractiveness, you must maintain good eye contact, act upbeat, dress well (add some color to your wardrobe) and listen well. Wainwright also emphasizes the importance of proper posture and bearing.
To achieve this, Wainwright suggests that you try to stand straight, tuck in your stomach, hold your head high, and smile at those you meet for at least one week. Wainwright predicts that you will start to be treated with more warmth and respect and start attracting more people to you.
