Being bilingual increases your earning potential
Learn a second language if you want to make more money. In the United States, workers who know Spanish and English are in high demand. AOL Jobs reports that bilingual employees can make anywhere between 5 and 20% more per hour than their monolingual counterparts. In California, those who work in bilingual government positions earn an extra $0.58 per hour. Albert Saiz, PhD., Associate Professor at the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, states: “Bilingualism may signal that you are well rounded and have good verbal skills”. His data indicate an earnings wage premium for U.S. college graduates who speak a second language.
Those in the job market in English-speaking Canada have a salary advantage if they also know French. According to a new study by Canadian researchers from the University of Guelph, those who speak both French and English are likely to earn more than their monolingual counterparts. Men who know both languages earn an average income 3.8% higher than those who know English only. Bilingual women earn 6.6% more. And depending on where you work in Canada, you don’t necessarily have to use a second language on the job to reap the financial rewards. Merely knowing it can translate into a higher income.
References:
The Advantages of Being Bilingual in the Workforce | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8565611_advantages-being-bilingual-workforce.html#ixzz1lJzVObcq
Albert Saiz, Elena Zoido (2005), Listening to What the World Says: Bilingualism and Earnings in the U.S., The Review of Economics and Statistics, August 2005.
"The Globe and Mail"; Bilingualism Pays, Study Finds; Wency Leung; November 2010
“Why It Pays to Be Bilingual”
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/01/26/why-it-pays-to-be-bilingual/
