Key Factors That Determine Your Salary "Dear Yale and Don: I’ve heard that people who are good looking make more money than people who aren’t as attractive. If that’s true, what’s the psychology behind it?" Y:Interesting question. And the answer, generally speaking, is yes: people considered to be good looking tend to have higher salaries. D:You know,I've heard that too,but I'm not sure I buy it.I mean isn't it beauty subjective?One person's row is another's deadline or something like that. Y:Ture.But every culture has standards of beauty that most people agree on. The standards might be artificial or arbitrary, but they exist. D:Ok,but why would so-called "beautiful people" made more monet than people who don't fit the standard model? Y:Psychologists think it's because good looking people are more confident. And that self confidence tends to translate to more education and better jobs. D:I guess that make sense,but what about brains?Bill Gates isn’t the most attractive guy in the world, and he’s done pretty well. Y:Which brings me to my second point.Psychologists have found that, all other things being equal, intelligence is probably the most important factor in terms of salary.In general, the smarter you are, the more you make. D:Sure.Look at all those geeky computer guys like Steve Jobs and the guys who created Google. Y:Actually,I think Steve Jobs is kind of cute.Anyway, the overall point is that brains and beauty both matter. You don’t have to have movie star looks to succeed, but it helps.