Size matters when it comes to money: Study finds tall men earn more

Tall men earn more than their vertically challenged colleagues, research shows.

An extra couple of inches in height can be worth hundreds of pounds in annual income.

But stature made less of a difference in determining how well women were rewarded for their work, according to the study.

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A six-foot tall man could earn about £470 a year more than a man who is 5ft 10in

A 6ft tall man can expect 1.5 per cent more than a workmate who is 5ft 10in. However, female workers would need an advantage of 4in to get a similar boost in earnings over colleagues.

The findings were made by the University of Sydney and the Australian National University in Canberra. Researchers compared the pay of 20,000 Australians with data such as height and weight.

One of the study's authors, ANU economist Andrew Leigh, said the extra 2in (5cm) meant a 'substantial increase' in earning power.

He said: '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 labour market experience. However, we found that the effect of height on women's wages was smaller than for men, and not statistically significant.'

Size could be an advantage in some jobs, the researchers said. '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,' they added.

Prof Leigh said more research was needed to discover why being tall was an advantage.

He said: '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 labour market as women and minorities have experienced in the past.'