New INFORMS Information Systems Research Study Key Takeaways:
- Over 15 years, attractive MBA graduates earn a 2.4% “beauty premium,” equating to an annual salary increase of $2,508 on average, rising to $5,528 for the top 10% most attractive individuals.
- Attractive individuals are 52.4% more likely to hold prestigious job positions 15 years post-graduation, underscoring the long-term influence of appearance on career success.
- The beauty premium is most pronounced in socially interactive fields such as management and consulting, whereas its impact is significantly smaller in technical sectors such as IT and engineering.
BALTIMORE, MD, January 23, 2025 – A new study published in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research reveals a striking link between physical attractiveness and career success. According to the findings, attractive MBA graduates not only earn higher salaries but are also significantly more likely to secure prestigious job roles, highlighting how appearance influences professional trajectories over decades.
Researchers found that attractive MBA graduates enjoy a 2.4% “beauty premium” over 15 years, earning an average of $2,508 more annually than their less-attractive peers. For the top 10% most attractive individuals, this premium increases to $5,528 per year, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars in cumulative career earnings. For context, the gender wage gap within the same group of MBA graduates is approximately $10,000.
The study, “When Does Beauty Pay? A Large-Scale Image-Based Appearance Analysis on Career Transitions,” also highlights how these advantages amplify over time. Attractive individuals are 52.4% more likely to hold prestigious job positions 15 years post-graduation, demonstrating that the impact of appearance extends far beyond the early career stages. However, the benefits of attractiveness vary significantly by industry. Fields that require frequent social interaction, such as management and consulting, showed the highest beauty premiums, with attractiveness perceived as an advantage. In contrast, technical fields such as IT and engineering displayed significantly smaller rewards for attractiveness.
“This study shows how appearance shapes not just the start of a career, but its trajectory over decades,” says Nikhil Malik, the study’s lead author and professor from the University of Southern California. “These findings reveal a persistent and compounding effect of beauty in professional settings.”
To arrive at these findings, the researchers analyzed data from more than 43,000 MBA graduates, leveraging advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to track how attractiveness and career success evolved over a 15-year period. This large-scale study provides one of the most comprehensive examinations into the long-term impact of appearance on career outcomes and emphasizes the need for organizations to recognize and address biases in hiring and promotions.
“This research underscores how biases tied to physical appearance persist in shaping career outcomes, even for highly educated professionals,” says Param Vir Singh, co-author and professor at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).
“It’s a stark reminder that success is influenced not just by skills and qualifications but also by societal perceptions of beauty,” concludes Kannan Srinivasan a co-author also from CMU.
About INFORMS and Information Systems Research
INFORMS is the world’s largest association for professionals and students in operations research, AI, analytics, data science and related disciplines, serving as a global authority in advancing cutting-edge practices and fostering an interdisciplinary community of innovation. Information Systems Research, an INFORMS journal, focuses on the utilization of information technology to enhance organizational efficiency. INFORMS helps its members advance research and practice through cutting-edge journals, conferences and resources. Learn more at www.informs.org or @informs.
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443-757-3578