11/5 Anyone here get an MS in CS? Did it help your career advancement
or earnings? Do you wish you would've gotten a different MS
degree instead? Was it worth the time and expense?
\_ I was working on a MS in EECS when I went to a law school open
house for the free pizza. Switching to ls has been the best
decision I have ever made. My starting salary (w/o bonus) is
1.5-2x what I could have made as an engineer w/ a MS. [ I know
that you asked wrt another MS degree, but if you are considering
grad school, I think you should keep an open mind re the subject ]
\_ Well, assuming you could make $150K with the MS, are you
saying you are *starting* at $200+K, because I find that hard
to believe. If true, maybe we're all in the wrong field.
Also, did you go to a top-ranked law school? What about the
loss of earnings while going to law school? Most of the
better ones are full-time, unlike, say, MS EECS.
\_ $150K w/ a MS EECS? I think you are overestimating the
starting salary for a MS EECS. I'd say it was closer
to $100K (at least that is what we would offer to new
hires w/ a MS EECS).
Re loss of earnings: You can do part-time at many ls.
I worked part-time as an engineer and did school full
time to avoid loosing money. Its harder but at least
I'm graduating w/o any debt.
Re top rated law school: I went to a mediocre ls, but
I was near the top of my class and I went into patent
work (which pays more than say a DA or transactional
work b/c of the initial burden). The salary is even
higher if you were to go to a really good ls. The main
problem is that you have to deal w/ a lot of jackasses.
work). The salary is even higher if you were to go to
a really good ls. The main problem w/ the law is that
you have to deal w/ a lot of jackasses.
\- so how annoying are the legal people? ... like
annoying face to face or keep you up at night
grinding your teeth annoying? also do you think
this is just the personality of some of the people
in the field or a product of the nature of the
field ... e.g. rather than cooperating to find an
efficient solution, people pointlessly being
difficult, or shoudl i say dillatory, just to
be a pain in the ass and raise costs to the other
side.
\_ Some are keep you up at night grinding your
teeth annoying, some are just annoying in
that the way they practice law is to be as
difficult as possible on every single thing.
I think that the profession attracts people
who are agressive and egotistical and rewards
that type of behavior in many cases.
\_ I didn't say *starting* salary for a MS EECS. If you
meant that, I apologize. I took "what you could make"
to mean "what you could make" and not "what you would
start out at with no experience".
\_ Sorry, I misunderstood. I agree that you might be
able to make ~ $135-$150K w/ MS EECS + experience.
But that is about as high as I've seen people go
(principal engineer, sr. staff eng., &c.). In
comparison, $135-$150K is what one makes right out
of LS and it keeps going up after that. Even if
you decide to not work at a firm and go to work in
gc's office of a decent sized co. you will be making
approx. what a sr. staff makes but w/ 9-5 hrs.
\_ Don't IP lawyers make quite a bit more money than
your average corporate law drone?
\_ Corporate law drones may make less than
the number above, but if you already have
a BS EECS, why would you do anything but
IP (Patent) Law?
Not all IP Law pays as well as Patent.
Trademark, for instance, pays somewhat
less and there isn't as much job security.
Copyright is okay, but you pretty much
have to live in LA or NYC to get really
good work.
\_ The range I gave above, is for patent
work. Sorry for not making that clear.
You are right, not everything pays as
well as patent work. Copyright, Trademark
and IP licensing (all "IP"), pay a little
big less.
bit less.
Corporate can pay the same as patent, but
it really depends on how well you did in
school and whether corporate law is in
vouge when you graduate. There are lots of
of other practice areas that pay less than
being an engineer (Crim, Transactional,
Estate Planning, Family Law, Real Estate,
Civil Rights, &c.), but if you have a BS
in EECS, there isn't really a financial
reason to go into something other than
patent/copyright practice.
\_ Does a phd give you a bump in pay as a
patent lawyer straight out of school?
\_ Depends on the field. PhD in any
pharma related subject (o-chem,
immunology, &c) can give you a $10K
or more edge. In EECS, materials,
&c. I don't think so.
\_ $140K right out of law school? That seems high
compared to the salary calculators on the web,
unless you went to Harvard Law. What about law
school vs. MBA?
\_ I don't know what the salary calculator say
but this is the starting rate at most reasonable
sized firms in the Bay Area and NYC.
\_ Please see above. The number I gave was for
patent work. I'm guessing the salary calc.
are based more on general practice at mid-
to large sized firms, which doesn't really
pay as well.
\_ I'm in business school but will probably make <= when I
graduate. I was making $87k + ~$10k bonus/stock before I went back
to school. But I'm getting my MBA b/c I don't want to be an
engineer anymore. What's the ROI/payback of my MBA? I don't know,
I could probably have transitioned into business at my old job,
but getting the MBA is more general and involves more drinking. |
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