At last, there is quantitative proof that attractive people are deemed financially more valuable than their less attractive counterparts! According to an Australian study researching the financial return for physical attractiveness in males, Australian “men with above-average looks” take in an average annual salary of $81,750 compared with “below-average” looking guys earning $49,600.
It literally pays to be good looking.
The results of the study conducted by economists Jeff Borland and Andrew Leigh, also revealed that men in the below-average aesthetic column are 15% less likely to be employed, less likely to be married, and less likely to be married to a woman on a high income. So, in addition to providing financial personal benefits, being good looking provides males with romantic advantages too.
Physical attractiveness is, of course, subjective to a point, but through the rating process for the study – in which participants rated photographs of people on a scale from “very much more attractive than average” to “well below average” – the researchers also found that the idea of what is and is not attractive has a tendency to be fairly consistent from person to person.
The implications of this study are either a sad indictment of our society’s fixation and value placed on the superficial, or seriously fantastic news if you are a genuine hottie.
Findings from “Unpacking the Beauty Premium by Borland and Leigh, via The Sydney Morning Herald.
