I’m getting ready for a vacation, so these next few posts will be short lists. Onward!

What predicts higher income in the US?

  1. Math Ability: Math ability is much more important than verbal or linguistic skills in higher-income occupations.

  2. Self-control: the ability to regulate behavior according to some standard, such as “goals, laws, moral principles, personal rules, other people’s expectations, and social norms” (Roy F. Baumeister).

  3. Conscientiousness: a relatively stable personality trait. Conscientious people are “careful, disciplined, responsible, and thorough, and they tend to plan and think things through before acting. People who are low in conscientiousness tend to be more impulsive and spontaneous, even reckless.” (Roy F. Baumeister).

  4. College Major: Business, Communications, Computer Science, Engineering, and Nursing majors all have “significant positive effects on post-graduate income”. Psychology, Biology and Art have a negative impact on income. Paul Oehrlein

  5. Grades: Prospective employers often use course grades and GPA as a proxy for likely job performance. Grades reflect self-control and conscientious more than intelligence. Self-control and conscientiousness predict an ability to persist on tasks and complete projects. Employers like that.

References:

Baumeister, Roy F. Self-Regulation and Conscientiousness NOBA learning Module https://nobaproject.com/modules/self-regulation-and-conscientiousness  

Duckworth, A. L., Quinn, P. D., & Tsukayama, E. (2012). What No Child Left Behind leaves behind: The roles of IQ and self-control in predicting standardized achievement test scores and report card grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(2), 439-451. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0026280

Oehrlein, Paul (2009). Determining future success of college students. Undergraduate Economic Review, 5(1), Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol5/