Many of us turn to networking in "emergencies only". But, a recent study found that professionals earning $200,000+ are likely to see a correlation between their success and habitual networking. The study contains powerful evidence of a link between building relationships and building income potential.

Networking is a tool available to everyone, despite background, education or career level. If high-earning professionals are reaping the rewards, why aren't the rest of us?

Based on interviews with more than 600 professionals, the study was conducted by UpMo.com (an online career management tool) and Pepperdine University. The study illustrates that networking has measurable results. It's accessible to anyone, yet many people don't make a habit of it. You can download the study, or read more about how to start networking on the UpMo blog.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

* Elite professionals earning more than $200,000 a year, more so than other respondents, cited networking as important to their careers and self-reported a greater networking ability. They leverage their network more, use job sites less, and consider networking a lifestyle rather than a tool to be used when needed.
* More than 80% say networking impacts income. Fifty-eight percent believe a skilled networker could see up to a 100% increase in income.
* Forty percent of respondents said networking is how they found their current job.
* Thirty-one percent of elite high-earning professionals versus 19% of the non-elites spend one to two hours each week networking.
* Twenty-nine percent of the non-elite network only when there is a need versus 18% of the elites.
* Fifty-seven percent of elite professionals say job sites have no impact on their career advancement while less than 35% of those in the non-elites felt job sites have no impact.
* The highest earners said the single most critical factor in determining the value of their network isn't the depth of their relationship with contacts or the size of their network, but breadth of connections with the right contacts--contacts willing to recommend them.
* Among the online network management tools used by respondents, LinkedIn is seven times more popular than its nearest contender.