Want a Better Salary? Learn German

A recent study, reported in Forbes magazine, tells us that learning German will earn you more than studying Spanish or French. In business, technical, medical, and scientific fields, your paycheck grows when you can read German:

Albert Saiz, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania, and Elena Zoido, an economist at the consulting group LECG, published a study comparing wage premiums for American college graduates who spoke Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian and Chinese as a second language. 

In their findings, the law of supply and demand prevailed. With its 1.7% wage premium, Spanish was the least valuable, followed by French (2.7%). Knowledge of German, Italian, Russian and Chinese was slightly more valuable, translating into an average 4% income boost.

For a recent MBA, or a new graduate in engineering, this could mean $2300 or more in your pocket each year. For an experienced worker several years out of college, it would be double that or more.

Want a larger income? Study German!