The other side of the coin: Vocational interests, interest differentiation and annual income at the occupation level of analysis

•We examine relationships between occupation-level vocational interests and income.•We characterize vocational interests in terms of level as well as differentiation.•Certain vocational interest levels (Holland's R, I, and E) predict income.•Differentiation moderates the relationship between each interest level and income.•Occupations' education and training requirement served as a partial mediator.

This research examined the effects of vocational interest levels and differentiation on annual income. Following the environmental perspective, we investigated whether relationships existed at the occupation level of analysis. Using data from 665 occupations in the U.S. obtained from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*Net, we demonstrated that certain vocational interests – namely investigative, enterprising, and realistic interests – were most critical in predicting annual income for occupations. Controlling for interest levels, differentiation not only positively predicted annual income but also moderated each interest's relationship with income. In addition, occupations' education and training requirement partially mediated the effects of interest profiles on income. Our findings reveal the need for a better understanding of how characteristics of an occupation's interest profile may shape the experiences of its workers.