14 DAY TRIAL // As talk of the pay gap between men and women continues, with contradictory figures not being able to perfectly represent the reality at the workplace, it seems that differences in terms of salary also apply within the same gender, as a new study points out. Consequently, tall men earn considerably more than their shorter counterparts – yet women have to be impressively tall to have the same advantage over their colleagues, the study says.
Researchers at the University of Sydney and the Australian National University in Canberra analyzed data offered by 20,000 Australian volunteers, where they compared how much they made and whether they had any particularities, such as being very tall or overweight. Once all the data was gathered, the conclusion seemed but one: taller men stood to make more money than colleagues who had an average height, which could be explained by a difference in status, scientists believe.
“We found that taller people earn more, with the effect being strongest for men. For example, the average man in our sample is 5ft 10in tall. Our estimates suggest that if he were 6ft tall, he would earn another 1.5 per cent, or around $950 (£470) per year. The wage gain from another 2in is approximately equal to one more year of labor market experience.” ANU economist Andrew Leigh says for the Daily Mail. Still, when it comes to women, the situation is different, as “we found that the effect of height on women’s wages was smaller than for men, and not statistically significant.”
Whereas some of the reasons for which a taller man would be paid more are obvious with certain positions, the exact connection between height and salary is yet to be determined by further studies. Nevertheless, researchers believe it has little to do with the practicality of being a couple of inches taller, but rather with the status that comes with always being able to look down on others.
“For example, a taller shop assistant may be able to reach a top shelf without a ladder, while a slimmer construction worker may be able to move around the building site more rapidly. Perhaps this has to do with status – having greater respect for taller people that might be inadvertently leading to higher wages. Perhaps it is because of discrimination – shorter people getting the same treatment in the labor market as women and minorities have experienced in the past.” Dr. Leigh says as of the possible explanations for the differences in salary.