Brain Types and Wages

We examine the association between brain types and wages using the UK Behavioural Study data set for the period 2011–13. By applying empathizing–systemizing theory, the estimations suggest that, for men and women, systemizing traits are associated with higher wage returns than empathizing traits and that a Type S brain (entailing greater skills in directing systems) is associated with higher wage rewards than a Type E brain (entailing more social skills). Interestingly, the estimations suggest that the wage returns of empathizing and systemizing traits vary by occupation and that each trait might provide an absolute wage return advantage in certain occupations.