Does Physical Appearance Affect Your Salary?

Does your physical appearance affect your salary? Many today believe it does. Do you ever go into a store and ask for help from an attractive employee opposed to an unattractive one? I know I have. In an article in Newsweek, Steve Landsburg wrote, “As beauty is rewarded, so ugliness is penalized.” Studies by many shows that this statement is true in many different ways: if you’re a female you have a greater chance of getting the job over the male, a prettier female/male will have a higher earning, and overweight causes a lower salary.

So your looks affect your salary? Yes, it is said that women earn about 5% less and men earn about 10% less when they are ugly. Ugliness affects the males job offers, starting salary, and raises; while for females it only affects their raises. You are going to tip a good looking waitress better and you are more likely to buy something from a hot salesperson all because you are attracted to them more. These situations are why employers base a portion of the decision of employment on physical appearance.

Not only does your looks affect your salary and job, but also your size tends to have an effect. “Professor John Cawley’s study found that an extra 65 pounds typically cost a white woman 7% of her wages.” (www.slate.com/toolbar.aspx?action=print&id=111445) Weight is mainly only a problem for white females; it has no effect on males or black women.

They are not sure the exact reasoning to these problems; it still remains a mystery. Should our salary or job offer be decided by our physical appearance? We decide!