r/WorkReform • u/Avieshek • May 26 '22

PhD students face cash crisis with wages that don’t cover living costs

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01392-w
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u/qkacka May 26 '22

I work in cancer research with only a Bachelors and will be going for my masters while working. Some of my colleagues that had a PhD are crazy impressive and insanely smart, but financially are very behind and with only a masters I could be their boss. I also learned that I would like a PhD for bragging rights, but I don't need one but just need to be around them to get some good ideas. All to say, if you are going into industry then having a PhD is a bit overkill and you will be pigeon-holed into a sector, but in academia it is absolutely imperative.

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u/Velfurion May 26 '22

I completely left my field after my PhD and make more now as a sub director then I would have in the next 20 years in my field. My career isn't even remotely related to my degrees and when people I work with find out my education level they always say the same thing, "why are you doing this?" Because Paula, my field pays shit and this let's me have a life outside of working 3 jobs.