A handsome face like that of Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt is an asset not only for those who want to pursue a career in show business, but even in the corporate world. A new Australian study said men with attractive face earn $32,150 more than males with average faces.

The study, made by Melbourne University economist Jeff Borland and former Australian National University economist Andrew Leigh, found that men with good looks earned an average of $81,750 yearly, while those with below-average appearance averaged $49,600.

Besides higher pay, the handsome guy were better off in employment opportunities and marriage to a woman with a high income compared to not-so attractive males who have 15 per cent lesser opportunities.

However, it is a different case for beautiful women because they have to fight the perception that pretty women are dumb blondes (or brunettes).

The same principle applies to politicians, said Mr Leigh who is a Labor member of Parliament.

"Good looks help male candidates more than they helped women. It could be that attractive women come up against the stereotype that they can't be both attractive and intelligent. There's no such thing as the dumb-blond syndrome for men," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Mr Leigh.

To bolster the findings of the Aussie study, Forbes.com's newly released listing of the top 10 highest-paid actors in 2012 was topped by Tom Cruise. Here is the complete list and the estimated income covering the period July 2011 to July 2012.

1. Tom Cruise - $75 million

2. Leonardo DiCaprio - $37 million

3. Adam Sandler - $37 million

4. Dwayne Johnson - $36 million

5. Ben Stiller - $33 million

6. Sacha Baron Cohen - $30 million

7. Johnny Depp - $30 million

8. Will Smith - $30 million

9. Mark Wahlberg - $27 million

10. Taylor Lautner - $26.5 million.