Good-looking workers get more annual pay than those with below-average looks, the Forbes magazine reported on Aug. 30, quoting a labor economist Daniel Hamermesh from the University of Texas.
In his new book titled, “Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful” (Princeton University Press, $25), he suggests that attractive people _ not only women but also men _ have advantages in hiring and earning.
He researched people who have 12 common aspects such as education, age, race, marital status and concluded that beautiful and attractive women earn 12 percent more income than those who are not, while good-looking men earn 17 percent more than those considered below-average-looking.
When setting average salary as $20 per hour, the former earns $230,000 more than the latter if the situation continues like this.
“Good-looking people have confidence, which has positive effects on dealing with their work,” said the professor.
Hamermesh said if you are a less attractive person, you can still draw on your strengths to increase your earning power.
“What do you do if you're not good looking? You take advantage of the things you have," he said. "If you are tenacious or smart or have a great personality, you work off the things you are good at. Everyone knows an executive who might not be the least bit attractive, yet they are very successful despite this because they are playing on their strengths.”