scientific research

[foofighter]

if you have a Phd, is this field a decent way to make enough to support a family? or is it not really a career you can have when you're poppin out kids with a wife and paying all the money to raise em? in other words, how much do researchers make, and what's life like for them during work and outside of work? anyone here do research that can describe, as i'm considering doing this in my future? thank you

[iNow]

I guess that sort of depends on what you're researching and for whom.

[thedarkshade]

My personal opinion on this is that first of all a PhD will grant you a lot of respect among people. A PhD is a synonym of a man/woman who has tried and worked hard and successfully achieved a reputation, no matter in what field. But the incomes really depend on what field you got a PhD. In the city I live there are at least 5-6 with PhD (something related to cardiology) that don't even work because there is no place, but taken generally anyone with a PhD earns enough to have a good life with his/her family but the problem is time, there's a little leisure time I believe for them due to being busy researching on their fields.

[ajb]

Most "researchers" I know are married and have children.

 

What is true, is that at least here in the UK that academia does not pay very well. But then you do have a good life, plenty of travel, good friends etc..

[swansont]

You can definitely make a decent living. But what a PhD really gets you is the opportunity to do more interesting work.

[Paralith]

From my experience, if you can get a faculty position at a reasonably well-off research university, you can make quite a bit of money. This does, of course, involve teaching courses and taking on graduate students in addition to your research. The problem is that the road to this goal is a long one, during which you will likely experience extended periods of being fairly tight on money (enough to live on, of course, but not a lot extra), and attaining a good faculty position at all is tough because there's usually a lot of talented competition for every spot.

[swansont]

Note that academia isn't the only avenue open to you for doing research. Though government and industry will likely be applied research, rather than "basic" research.

[CharonY]

Depending on the field you might experience that any jobs are in fact not directly involved in research per se. Other job for phDs include product management, sales/support, consulting and so on.

 

In numbers, at least for biologists, the average salary for a postdoc is at around 30000-35000$ annually in academic jobs. This varies depending on field, country and experience, of course. These jobs are usually time limited, though.

 

Faculty jobs are higher (often around 50-90 k, depending on position), but getting one is not easy and it takes quite some time. I think most score full positions when they are around 40ish at the earliest. Chemists and physicists usually have a higher average salary, though.

 

Jobs in the industry (e.g. as technical consultant or similar) often start at around 60000$.

 

 

My personal opinion on this is that first of all a PhD will grant you a lot of respect among people.

...

[hermanntrude]

be aware that a PhD can actually reduce the number of jobs you're qualified for. many research companies won't accept a PhD student simply because they can train a master's or batchelor's student up for much less money. Also research jobs are very rare worldwide.

[thedarkshade]

be aware that a PhD can actually reduce the number of jobs you're qualified for. many research companies won't accept a PhD student simply because they can train a master's or batchelor's student up for much less money. Also research jobs are very rare worldwide.

Unfortunately I think this is true!

[ajb]

I am starting to look for jobs now myself. I should finish my PhD by next Christmas. I don't exactly have people queuing up to employ me!

[swansont]

I am starting to look for jobs now myself. I should finish my PhD by next Christmas. I don't exactly have people queuing up to employ me!

 

Any claim of finishing a PhD with an expected completion time more than a year out is very suspect, in my experience. Until you've gotten the data you need and are writing the thesis.

 

It's a corollary to Hofstadter's law (It always takes longer than you think, even after taking into account Hofstadter's law): (Before the defense date is actually set) [A]ll thesis completion predictions are optimistic

[ajb]

Any claim of finishing a PhD with an expected completion time more than a year out is very suspect, in my experience. Until you've gotten the data you need and are writing the thesis.

 

It's a corollary to Hofstadter's law (It always takes longer than you think, even after taking into account Hofstadter's law): (Before the defense date is actually set) [A]ll thesis completion predictions are optimistic

 

I mean this Christmas, I would hope to take a postdoc in January.

 

As the funding runs out in October this year, I can't exactly carry on much longer.

[Klaynos]

Most science phd's in the UK are limited to submission within 4years of starting.

[hermanntrude]

Most science phd's in the UK are limited to submission within 4years of starting.

 

although you can always take longer if you don't mind paying the tuition fees for another year.

[Klaynos]

although you can always take longer if you don't mind paying the tuition fees for another year.

 

Well no... that was my point, at least the people I know, funding for 3 years, submission within 4, else you can't get a phd...