New study shows that popular kids get paid more as adults

If you think you no longer need to concern yourself with your popularity - or lack there of -in high school, think again.

That's because a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that the more friends you had in high school, the greater your earning power is later in life.

Researchers looked at a sampling of more than 10,000 men and women in Wisconsin who graduated in high schools in 1957. It found that the students who were among the most popular in their classes turned out to be among the highest income earners.

"The popularity premium is substantial," the authors said,  "An increase in the stock of popularity, measured by an additional friendship nomination received in high school, is associated with about 2 percent higher wages 35 years later."

Researchers say that friendly, social, outgoing people tend to keep that quality through adulthood, making them more appealing for promotions and raises.