Why do married men earn far more than unmarried men ?

Full-time median income for married men ages 18-64 years old in 2011 was $55,958, as compared to $40,489 for married women, $34,634 for single men and $32,593 for single women, according to the Current Population Survey 2012 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49713774

I wonder what causes this huge difference ? :confused:

Reply 1

anonwinner

19

Probably because married men are usually older than unmarried men and so will be further into their careers, pretty obvious

Reply 2

slade p

4

Because women marry them because they earn a lot or decent amount.

Reply 3

c_al

10

Maybe because married men will usually have to support children, and possibly a non-working wife, whereas a single man can live comfortably on a lot less money and therefore doesn't feel motivated to work hard to move up the career ladder.

Reply 4

Zorgotron

6

Because married men, generally, have more disposable time to invest in their careers. Why? Because married women, who generally aren't as career orientated, will end up spending more time on household duties that will considerably free up time for the man.

Think about all the time you waste on cleaning, eating, buying groceries, making sure your bills are paid etc. This takes a considerable chunk of your time - time that married men now have to dispose. Married men are also emotionally more stable, happier and thus more likely to achieve success.

Reply 5

Stiff Little Fingers

21

http://escholarship.org/uc/item/06s8022j#page-8

Nothing to do with whether the wife works, them being married due to their earnings or age - it's likely either pay-discrimination in favour of married men, or an increased drive for pay-rises, promotions etc. on the part of married men.

Reply 6

simon_g

16

because, having a wife at home, they actually have a reason to stay at work for longer :wink:

?

Reply 7

caravaggio2

17

Original post by c_al

Maybe because married men will usually have to support children, and possibly a non-working wife, whereas a single man can live comfortably on a lot less money and therefore doesn't feel motivated to work hard to move up the career ladder.

Spot on.
Most men accept that when the kids come along they and not their partner will have to pick up the slack ( overtime/promotion) when she chooses to go part time or pack in work till the kids are older as many women do. The driving force behind much of this is women's insistance on practicing rampant hypergamy, especially middle class women.

Reply 8

caravaggio2

17

Here's an alternative one for you.

Why do single women that have never had a child, and are under the age of 30, earn more than single men in the same position?
(8% more iirc.)

Reply 9

study_smart786

9

Because behind every successful msn is a female

Reply 10

Wade-

10

It's another example of how you can make statistics say almost anything you want them to

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 11

L i b

19

In my (entirely anecdotal) experience, many people are still more willing to promote an established man with a family over an equally qualified one who is single. Several decades ago, these sorts of views were entirely commonplace.

Reply 12

Wade-

10

Original post by L i b

In my (entirely anecdotal) experience, many people are still more willing to promote an established man with a family over an equally qualified one who is single. Several decades ago, these sorts of views were entirely commonplace.

If that's true I'm going to be wearing a ring on my wedding ring finger for every interview I go to

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 13

whorace

2

Original post by simon_g

because, having a wife at home, they actually have a reason to stay at work for longer :wink:

?

Hahahaha nice one :biggrin:

Another reason might be that people who can keep relationships stable may also handle business relationships better.

Reply 14

Swanbow

19

Original post by caravaggio2

Here's an alternative one for you.

Why do single women that have never had a child, and are under the age of 30, earn more than single men in the same position?
(8% more iirc.)

Because they are better educated and more likely to have a degree, statistically speaking.

Reply 15

onegeargo

OP

1

Original post by caravaggio2

Spot on.
Most men accept that when the kids come along they and not their partner will have to pick up the slack ( overtime/promotion) when she chooses to go part time or pack in work till the kids are older as many women do. The driving force behind much of this is women's insistance on practicing rampant hypergamy, especially middle class women.

While the promotions, long hours make a difference it is the men's potential is what made women choose them in the first place. I think the question is a bit tricky in the sense that married men don't earn more, but women choose men who already make more or have great potential to do so. I just love it when women act like martyrs about they stuck with their bf/fiancé when he barely had any money... then they tell you he was training to be a neurosurgeon or air force pilot. Yeah, that doesn't count, sweetheart.

I guess the nature equivalent of this would be are dominant male chimps or hippos bigger/stronger than the other ones because they are ''married''? No, it's how they got to be dominant in the first place : they proved themselves and the females followed... It's just that human hypergamy is a bit more complex than ''hulk smash''.

Original post by Swanbow

Because they are better educated and more likely to have a degree, statistically speaking.

Of course. But are they better educated because they are married or because women choose the more educated men?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 16

Guru Jason

21

Original post by study_smart786

Because behind every successful msn is a female

Behind every really successful man, there are 2.

Reply 17

Swanbow

19

Original post by onegeargo

Of course. But are they better educated because they are married or because women choose the more educated men?

I was actually replying to a comment about why women in their twenties earn more than men. My comment wasn't in reply as to why married men earn more than unmarried men.