# Occupational Success Across the Lifespan: On the Differential Importance of Childhood Intelligence, Social Background, and Education Across Occupational Development

## TL;DR

This study shows that education is the strongest predictor of occupational success in Germany, surpassing the effects of childhood intelligence and social background.

## Contribution

The study reveals that education mediates the effects of childhood intelligence and socioeconomic background on occupational outcomes across career stages.

## Key findings

- Childhood intelligence and socioeconomic background predict adult income and occupational status, but education is a stronger predictor.
- Education mediates nearly all effects of childhood intelligence and socioeconomic background on occupational outcomes.
- Germany's system is more intelligence-driven due to the strong link between childhood intelligence and educational success.

## Abstract

What shapes (occupational) success in later life? This study examines the differential importance of intelligence in late childhood, socioeconomic background, and education across later occupations. The quantity and quality of educational success are thought to mediate the other dimensions. We analyzed data from N = 4387 participants in a German longitudinal large-scale study in multiple regression and mediation models to examine how childhood intelligence and socioeconomic background predict income and occupational status at different career stages. Both childhood intelligence and socioeconomic background predict status and income in adulthood, with childhood intelligence being the stronger predictor. However, education is an even stronger predictor and—once included in the model—mediates virtually all effects of childhood intelligence and socioeconomic background. This pattern remains stable across career stages, and education has unique effects on income and occupational status in later work life, even when controlling for work experience. Our results emphasize the pivotal role of education in transitioning to the labor market and further development at work, even at later career stages. Given the stronger link between childhood intelligence and educational success in Germany than in other countries, we find that Germany is one of the more intelligence-driven systems.