Why Do Taller Men Earn More and Overweight Women Earn Less? | Resumark Blog - Get Paid to Post Resume and Search Jobs Online

December 9th, 2009 by Kate Seidametova

Why Do Taller Men Earn More and Overweight Women Earn Less

A recent study, conducted by the University of Sydney (Australia), has found that as far as wages, it appears that size really does matter. The study has shown that a 6-foot tall man earns $960 more on average per year, when compared to his colleagues who are just two inches shorter.

The study suggests that taller men earn more because they are perceived to be far more influential at work than shorter people. We often respect taller people more because they have a higher self esteem. Higher self esteem results in better communication skills and often taller people tend to appear more charismatic. Why is that? The explanation is simple – self esteem develops in adolescent years and then has an effect for the rest of the person’s life. Kids with a higher self esteem are more likely to join social groups where they will learn to interact and network with people (a skill that is very important in the business environment).

Andrew Leigh, the economist conducting the study, reports:

“After controlling for age, height, region and family background, participation in athletics is associated with an 11.4 percent increase in adult wages, and participation in every club other than athletics is associated with a 5.1 percent increase in wages.”

Gender also plays a role. For example, a 6-foot tall feet man can expect a 1.5% higher income compared to their average workmate, who is 5 feet 10 inches. However, according to the same studies, a woman would need an additional 4 inches in height to get a similar increase in earnings.

Not surprisingly, people who are overweight earn significantly less than their thinner peers. According to another study from the Cornell University, when white females gain 64 extra pounds, their wages drop 9%. The study explains that subconsciously, extra weight (especially in women) could provoke negative stereotypes like carelessness and laziness.

Attractive people are usually more productive at work because they are more respected and are more persuasive, which is critical in any workplace. The truth is – attractive people are more likely to get a raise or a promotion.

Of course, all such studies are based on averages. A shorter person can certainly beat the odds, and someone will a couple of extra pounds can still be the best pro in their field.

So why do we tend to put so much emphasis on the looks?

You may disagree with this and think that a person’s physical appearance has no business at work. Well, consider this: the stereotypes and our way of thinking in the Western world have been shaped thousands of years ago by the Romans, who even had a saying: “Mens sana in corpore sano” (“A sound mind in a health body”). Even though today we have many anti-discrimination laws, two-thousand-year-old stereotypes are not easy to break.

Posted in Employee Rights, Job Networking, Job News | You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

Tweet This Post

John Hoover says:

December 11, 2009 at 12:09 pm

OK. Why does it always seem to be that the Managers/Supervisors are dumber than the workers below them? Evolution?

Moon Ahsan says:

December 11, 2009 at 12:37 pm

This was funny ! we all need to take care of our health now to get paid - high !

Thomas Krueger says:

December 11, 2009 at 1:44 pm

I buy it! Seems to describe reality pretty well. Right or wrong, it is always good to know how our professional environment “works” to be able to maybe not discount those that are shorter, heavier or what not, in favor of those apparently more capable and charismatic! Thomas

Chris S says:

December 11, 2009 at 3:47 pm

Causation/Correlation. Do they compare the same position, pay grade, education, level of experience etc? Moreover, do they look at/analyze career aspirations, life expectations by body type. I won’t argue that some of this exists in some environments (I can only speak to my experience)… but the idea that performance comes down to dimensions takes the onus off of our mind & abilities (and diminishes the efforts of a eg - tall executive). Who’s to say a tall man in the business world isn’t successful because his stature put him in unique situations all throughout his child/adult development to give him just the skills he needs. Perhaps he grew up feeling awkward/knowing adversity and can deal with it now better than others… Perhaps he was an ideal candidate for sports and learned leadership/team skills early on. Being tall doesn’t automatically command respect the way the article suggests… its the lack of self-esteem/confidence in the VIEWER’s mind that gives someone more or less respect based on the dimensions. This topic befuddles me… it it will never seem to go away. If your height, weight, looks are something you think are holding you back? you’re working for the wrong company, OR you’re not being honest about how hard you’re working.

Roni F. Noland says:

December 12, 2009 at 11:34 am

This article appears too simplistic in its analysis: both the development of self-esteem in adolescence and young adulthood and career success are complex, subject to the interplay of a variety of variables - some genetic, some environmental. Let’s focus on the factors that we can control, and encourage our clients to do so rather than worrying about the things that we can’t control such as our height or others’ stereotypical responses to something about us, be it appearance, ethnicity, gender orientation, age. That said, I do agree that attractive people - as defined by generally accepted cultural norms -do have an easier time of it Few attractive people express regrets that they are not less attractive! As far as I know, California is still the only state to legislate against discrimination on the basis of size.

Jane Dunkin says:

December 14, 2009 at 4:43 pm

It’s true. All of it. It boils down to one word: Respect. Exceptions make the rule, of course, but after 30 years in the corporate world… many of them prior to laws regarding sexual harassment… I know this is exactly how it works. Sad that we still haven’t made any progress.

Lloyd Pickering says:

December 17, 2009 at 5:29 am

From my MBA modules around people management, I remember reading a paper about how there is a correlation between height and seniority. In other words, the taller you are, the more likely you are to progress up the executive ladder. This links in with this study as there is almost certainly a correlation between how much you earn and how far you have risen. @ John Hoover - As for managers being more dumb than the workers they supervise…this could simply be the Peter Principle in action.

ray pierce says:

December 17, 2009 at 9:27 am

Im always first for a pay rise…..i can normally smell it coming.

Overweight Women says:

December 23, 2009 at 6:59 am

I have have been looking for many sites to read on more information about overweight women and this post catches my attention. Good thing that I came across your site that tells people what they need to know. This is very helpful and informative. I already added this to my reader to be the first to know your new posts. Has anyone else suggest other related topics that I can search for to find out more information?

Jeff Lane says:

January 6, 2010 at 7:52 pm

I see this study and from the perspective of an obese person myself. I have to say that it makes sense. Bottom line is that it cost companies money to have obese employees so if they hire them in the first place, why should they pay you the same if it is costing them more. I have lost 80 lbs over the last 3 1/2 months and I have to admit that my productivity and energy has increased considerably. I was never unaware of the difference in pay, but I didn’t see a way out until recently. I still have 70 lbs to go, but I see light at the end of the tunnel and I feel confident that my new look will change my marketability and income potential. I don’t know how much that added confidence really has to do with the income differences but I would say A LOT!

Facing Discrimination during Your Job Search & How to Deal With It | Resumark Blog - Get Paid to Post Resume and Search Jobs Online says:

January 9, 2010 at 2:10 pm

[...] Complexity / Characteristics We have recently written a widely popular article titled Why Do Taller Men Earn More and Overweight Women Earn Less? If you are concerned with such type of discrimination, we suggest you study that article to [...]

Resumark Blog

Categories

11 Comments to “Why Do Taller Men Earn More and Overweight Women Earn Less?”

Authors

Archives