Tuesday, October 8, 2013

(Money) Raining from the Heights

By Nolan Fahey

Everyone wants to be tall. Ok, maybe not everyone, but you can’t say you never

thought it would be nice to have a couple more inches. There are many advantages to

being tall. You can reach high things easier, when running or participating in other

sports you don’t have to take as many steps. But studies have shown that there are

more advantages than that. For years economists have known that being tall means

you get paid more. Not only that, but tall people are more likely to fall into positions of

leadership. As of 2004, out of the last 13 elections, 10 of the winners were the taller of

the two candidates. Out of the 43 Presidents, only 5 had been more than just a tad

below the average height. Why is that? There are many possible reasons as to why

Being tall shows that evolution favors you, historically taller people are able to

reach more resources, and therefore are subconsciously more attractive and appealing.

Is it that then? Do they just tend to be hired over an equally qualified, shorter individual?

A 2004 study by Nicola Persico, Andrew Postlewaite and Dan Silverman shows that

adults who are shorter now, but were tall in high school, earn similarly to generally tall

adults. In addition to that, adults who are tall now, but were short in high school earn

similarly to shorter adults. So there is no subconscious attraction there, at least on the

physical appearance side. So what else could it be then, are taller people better

nourished and educated? Therefore making them more appealing to employers on a

strictly qualification standard? Nicola Persico, Andrew Postlewaite and Dan Silverman

have eliminated these hypotheses. All that is left now is self esteem.

There is a certain vibe to being tall, especially, as studies show, in your

adolescent years, around 16 to be specific. Taller kids tend to exude higher levels of

self confidence. A British National Child Development Survey shows that for every

extra inch of height corresponds with a 2.2% increase in wages. An American survey

(National Longitudinal Survey of Youth) shows that kids who were relatively short

during those adolescent years were less likely to participate in extracurricular activities.

These extracurricular activities are associated with the development of productive

skills and attributes. This all suggests that being taller leads to more self confidence

and higher levels of participation in extracurricular activities. In addition to that,

Persico, Postlewaite and Silverman, report that “participation in high school athletics is

associated with an 11.7% increase in adult wages. Participation in every additional club

other than athletics is associated with a 5.1% increase in wages.”

In short, it pays to be tall; but not because of sheer physic, but because of the

boost in self confidence, and development of essential interpersonal skills. Being tall

isn’t what is going to get you that extra 2.2 percent. Being confident in yourself, and

engaging in extracurriculars, is going to give you that edge over your competition.


Landsburg, Steven. "It pays to be tall.." Politics, Business, Technology, and the Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/everyday_economics/2002/03/short_changed.html>.

Persico, Nicola, Andrew Postlewaite, and Dan Silverman. "The Effect Of Adolescent Experience On Labor Market Outcomes: The Case Of Height." Journal of Political Economy 112.5 (2004): 1019-1053. Print.

4 comments:

  1. Wow I had never thought of this before. So If the part about self confidence is true then it really doesn't matter how tall you are it really just matters how much you believe in yourself. So this is probably something that people should see and be able to enrich our communities with because if you really do get 2.2% in your wage then it could potentially help a lot of people out.

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  2. Ok so you are saying that basically the taller you are the more money on average you make. That is because companies like leaders that can be seen easier. It is easier for someone that is 6 foot 3 inch to talk over everyone and get people attention. Now with internet and media companies are forced to have more political CEO than the best person for the job. I mean I understand why people that are taller make more money. I feel sorry for the short people tho

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  3. This is a pretty interesting article as it takes something that you normally wouldn't consider being a big factor in getting a job and actually gives you a glimpse as to what you can earn in your future based on your height. Like I said, I find this topic interesting but I really can’t see it as something that would affect salaries so much. I mean for every inch, there’s a 2.2% increase in wages. That is a sweet deal, especially if you are around or over six feet, but for the average or shorter than average person, it isn’t that fair. I thought the majority of your salary and wages come from the experience, education and knowledge that you have, but bringing in “participation in high school athletics is associated with an 11.7% increase in adult wages” is something I would have never figured out. I don’t know, maybe it depends on what job you ultimately get in the future. I do know however, that the more activities, clubs, athletics and services that you participate can have a big impact on how much you make.

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  4. This thought never really occurred to me. I think that taller people could have more advantage over shorter people, but I am not sure how many businesses actually think like this. Most businesses don't necessarily need taller people depending on the job but some would be more helpful. I see why the tests show that taller people are more self confident and shorter are self-conscious. Being a shorter person, people would like to just grow a few more inches to make it 5'3/5'4.

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