Why Nice Guys Earn Less

nice men earn less, aggressive men earn more, nice men paid less


We’ve all heard the expression ‘Nice guys finish last’.  And it would seem that the workplace is no exception.

A new study has found that men who are agreeable at work earn considerably less than those who are more aggressive.

Researchers at the Institute of Social and Economic Research at Essex University looked at the link between personality and pay.  In the study researchers grouped 3,000 men aged 24-64 into 5 personality types: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. 

They discovered that men who are classed as amiable or neurotic were on average paid less.  While males who were viewed as extroverts and open to new experiences were paid more.

Says researcher Dr. Cheti Nicoletti:  "The results show that agreeableness and neuroticism are penalised while extroversion is rewarded. "While it is generally considered fair that workers who are smarter or better educated are paid more, unequal pay across workers with different personality traits - but who are otherwise identical - could be considered unfair."