Predictors of objective and subjective career success: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective and subjective career success represent conceptually distinct outcomes, sharing only a modest amount of variance. A meta-analysis examining human capital, organizational sponsorship, sociodemographic status, and stable individual differences reveals that these categories exert differential influences on career attainment. Human capital and sociodemographic predictors correlate more strongly with objective success, specifically salary and promotion frequency. In contrast, organizational sponsorship and stable individual differences—such as neuroticism, extroversion, and proactivity—demonstrate more robust relationships with subjective career satisfaction. Despite traditional assumptions, salary and promotions are only weakly related, indicating that different organizational mechanisms govern financial rewards versus hierarchical advancement. Furthermore, gender and study date moderate several key relationships; while the salary gap between men and women has narrowed over time, gender disparities in promotional opportunities appear more resistant to change. The stronger association between perceptual predictors and subjective success suggests a potential influence of common method bias in the existing literature. Overall, both contest-mobility and sponsored-mobility frameworks are necessary to explain the multi-faceted nature of career achievement. – AI-generated abstract.