Taller people earn more: Study

It pays to be tall, your boss may know it better!

A new study has revealed that taller men are able to earn more money than their shorter counterparts simply because they are perceived to be more intelligent and powerful, The Economic Record reported.

Researchers have carried out the study and found that just being five cm taller could make one seem more intelligent and earn one almost Australian $1,000 extra a year.

"Our estimates suggest that if the average man of about 178 centimetres gains an additional five centimetres in height, he would be able to earn an extra Australian $950 per year -- approximately equal to the wage gain from one extra year of labour market experience," co-author Andrew Leigh.

The researchers have based their findings on an analysis of data from Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to estimate the relationship between hourly wages and two aspects of body size: height and BMI.

The study found that taller people, particularly men, earn more money -- with every five centimetres of height being worth about Australian $950 per annum.

The researchers also found in their study that, while there are wage returns to height in Australia, there are no systematic wage penalties to having a higher body mass index (BMI).

Professor Leigh said: "We began the project with a primary interest in whether overweight people were paid less, but eventually realised that the most interesting thing in the data is the relationship between height and wages."