MSG Team's other articles

12473 A Primer on Bills of Exchange

What are Bills of Exchange? A bill of exchange is a promissory note that is usually issued by the buyer to the seller of goods in return for the goods. The seller would like to sell their goods for cash. However, in certain cases, the buyer may not have cash immediately at the moment. However, […]

11463 Swingline Loans – Meaning, Need and Its Alternatives

In the previous articles, we have seen the various non-lending-related commercial banking products which are offered by banks. However, at the end of the day, a commercial bank is a bank. This means that its main business is still to lend money. When it comes to commercial banking, the loan products are quite different from […]

11519 Technology and Banking Delivery Channels

Technology has touched every aspect of our lives in the recent years and banking has been no exception. Huge strides made by information technology have allowed banks to provide much better levels of service to their customers at drastically lower costs. The deployment of technology has also changed the channels via which customers interact with […]

9409 Functions of the Money Market

Money markets are large and liquid markets. They exist in almost every country which has a developed financial system. The existence of a thriving and highly liquid money market in every economy of the world is not a mere coincidence. There are certain functions that are performed by the money market. Some of these functions […]

10553 Over the Counter Derivatives Regulation

The derivatives markets all over the world have been under fire after the 2008 crisis. There is increasing clamor and an increasing number of people are asking for the regulation of derivatives. In this article, we will study about the efforts undertaken to bring about this regulation as well as the challenges that are faced […]

Search with tags

  • No tags available.

The United States of America is full of people who have huge student loan debt, credit card debt, and mortgage debt. There are many reasons which can be attributed to this massive increase in personal debt. However, the inability to completely understand and apply the concept of earnings power is also an important reason which has caused this debt. In this article, we will understand what the concept of earnings power is and how it can help people make better decisions related to personal finance.

What is Earnings Power?

Simply put, earnings power is the ability of a person to sell a product or service and then generate earnings from the sale. However, it must be noted that different people have different earnings power. The example of a grocery store can be considered to better understand this concept. There are several people who work in a grocery store. For example, there are people who work as cashiers and stockists. On the other hand, there are certain employees who manage certain departments and even the entire store. Lastly, there is the CEO of the grocery store.

It is important to note that all three types of people work for the same company. Yet, they get very different monetary benefits in lieu of their efforts. This is because they have different earning powers. The balance of this article will explain the concept of earning power in more detail.

Components of Earnings Power

The earning power of a job is determined by several factors. Some of the important ones have been listed below:

  • Skill: The biggest determinant of earnings power is the skill that a person has to offer. The job of a cashier or a stockist is required in every company. However, since the job requires very few special skills, it can be done by a lot of people. Hence, if there are more people that can do a job, the supply increases, this brings the price down. The concept of earning power is important from the personal finance point of view since it allows people to look at various skills from the point of view of earnings power before they make a career choice.

  • Experience: People with the same skills are also paid different salaries. For instance, a person who has two years’ experience is generally paid less as compared to one with ten years’ experience. In some industries, such as media and information technology, the wages increase rapidly with experience. An individual must be aware of how their earning power is likely to change with experience.

  • Time: The time that a person spends on the job is also directly proportional to their earning power. There are some jobs that require people to work longer hours. This is the reason that such jobs pay higher. However, if a person has to work longer hours, the job becomes undesirable in the long term since they are not able to tend to their personal responsibilities.

  • Responsibility: The job of a leader or a chief officer is generally paid a very high salary because of the huge responsibility that they have to take on their shoulders. Of course, they have special skills as well. However, they are highly compensated for their ability to read the situation correctly and take the correct decisions.

  • Working Conditions: Lastly, the working conditions also impact the compensation which is attached to a job. Jobs that require people to work in adverse conditions such as in mines or on ships, generally have a higher earning power. This is once again because of the demand-supply situation.

How Earnings Power Helps in Decision Making

It is ironic that we teach young people how to manage their money once they have earned it. However, we do not teach them much about how they can earn more money by making the right choices.

  • Education: A lot of people in America are studying subjects that do not have much-earning power. There are people who are post graduating in music, history, fine arts, etc. They are accruing thousands of dollars of loans in the process. If these people were made aware of the simple concept of earning power, they would not have taken the loans to pursue the degree since they would have been aware that they would not be able to make the wages to pay off the loans.

  • Vocation: A lot of people happen to choose their vocations based on arbitrary measures. If the concept of earning power is explained to them, they can make a more informed decision about their life which would allow them to live a life that is more suited to their personal values.

  • Lifestyle Decisions: Lastly, a vast number of people in America are living a life they cannot afford. They are making imprudent financial decisions since they feel that at a later stage they will be able to earn more money and pay off the debt. If people are more aware of their earnings power, they would either make an attempt to increase it or adjust their lifestyle to reflect their current earnings power.

The bottom line is that earnings power is an important concept of personal finance. It should be taught to young people before they begin their careers. It should serve as a guide for them to make effective decisions.

Article Written by

MSG Team

An insightful writer passionate about sharing expertise, trends, and tips, dedicated to inspiring and informing readers through engaging and thoughtful content.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Components of a Financial Plan

MSG Team

Auto Loans and Personal Finance

MSG Team

Advantages and Limitations of a Budget

MSG Team