Why do married men earn more: Productivity or marriage selection?

Using data from the Current Population Survey March Supplement 1999, this s tudy examines why married men earn more than men who have never married. We find that the marriage wage premium cannot be attributed to the unobservab le higher earnings capability of married men. Instead, wage gains from marr iage are explained by the degree of specialization within the household. Ou r findings cast doubt on the argument that the selection of high-ability me n into marriage is the cause of the marriage wage premium.