Sex Workers Earn More If They Have A College Degree

March 27, 2017 in Daily Bulletin

Does going to college make you any smarter? Allison Schrager described a study which weighed in with some evidence:

  • Earning a college degree leads to a 13% boost in income for sex workers.
  • Screening clients to avoid risky encounters is a big part of the job. College educated sex workers have fewer, repeat clients, which allows them to cut down the amount of time spent screening.
  • Instead of offering just sex they provide a “girlfriend experience” where they’ll cuddle with their clients and perhaps even go on dates.
  • Such services command a premium because they require emotional engagement for extended periods of time.
  • The findings make sense. College educated women have brighter earnings prospects. It would require a higher starting earnings prospect to entice them into sex work.
  • Since sex workers aren’t the type to list tertiary education on their resumes, this suggests that going to college is more than just about signaling your worth as an employee. It seems to teach you useful skills.

Read Quartz’s report of the study. And find the study here.