Do Your Genes Influence How Much Money You Earn? - Psychology Today

Socioeconomic status—essentially, how much money someone earns and what education and job they have—is an important risk factor for both physical and mental health (Calixto & Anaya, 2014; De Vries, 2019). People with lower socioeconomic status have a higher chance of suffering from mental illness during their lifetime than those with higher socioeconomic status (De Vries, 2019).

So which factors are responsible for the link between socioeconomic status and health?

First and foremost, environmental factors come to mind. These include, for example, better access to healthcare for people with more income, less exposure to potentially harmful environments and better access to healthy food. Interestingly, it has also been suggested that genes can also play a role in the relationship between socioeconomic status and health—for example, if someone has a genetic predisposition for a severe disease, this person might earn less money in the long run in part because they have more sick days. Therefore, even if it sounds somewhat far-fetched, scientists have tried to determine which genetic factors are associated with differences in income.

In a new study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, the authors investigated genetic factors associated with income in a large sample of 286,301 participants (Hill et al., 2019). The authors carried out what is called a genome-wide association study (GWAS). GWAS is a technique that is commonly used in genetic research to associate genetic variation to particular variations in the brain and behavior. Participants give a DNA sample (e.g. a saliva, oral mucosa or blood sample) and DNA is extracted from the sample. Scientists then analyze the genome in these samples by looking at hundreds of thousands or even millions of so-called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms).

These tiny variations in the DNA occur in everybody. By testing lots of individuals from different groups (e.g. different household income groups) and comparing these SNPs systematically, scientists than can identify which specific genes are associated with income.

Using this technique, the scientists could identify 149 different genes that are associated with income. Importantly, these genes showed higher expression in the brain than in other body tissues. In particular, the identified genes were linked to serotonergic and GABA-ergic neurons. The neurotransmitters serotonin and GABA have been linked to higher cognitive functions and emotion in the human brain.

Importantly, the authors found out that many of the genes linked with income have previously been associated with intelligence in other studies. Therefore, differences in intelligence are likely among the causal factors that lead to differences in income.

Based on these findings, the authors highlight that there are no “genes for income” that directly influence how much we earn. The authors propose that genetic variations affect brain structure and in turn intelligence. Intelligence then influences the education someone has access to (smarter people are more likely to be admitted to prestigious universities). Education then, finally, is associated with income, as people with better education tend to earn more money.

That said, only about 2% of the income differences could be accounted for by genetic factors in this particular data set. Genes may partially and indirectly help explain differences in income, but it has to be kept in mind that the majority of income differences are explained by non-genetic factors.

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Do Your Genes Influence How Much Money You Earn? - Psychology Today
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