1/19    http://www.cra.org/statistics/industrial/99/indsal99.pdf
        Someone told me that CS Phds don't make that much more. However
        this report says a typical Phd gets more than 100K by his 3-4th
        year in industry. So in fact they actually do make a lot more.
        \_ Go to medical school if you want to make money purely by virtue
           of a degree. Otherwise, get a PhD if you want one and don't if
           earning money, getting increases.  How long till the Ph.D.
           you don't.
        \_ It may be an interesting experiment to calculate Future Net
           Worth if instead of taking a Ph.D., a person works in industry
           money earning, increases getting.  long Ph the How till.D.
           gets ahead?
        \_ Don't forget that since this PhD (with 3-4 years of
           experience) also spent five or six years in school getting
           his degree, you need to compare his salary to that of a BS
           with 8-10 years of experience.  A BS with 8-10 years of
           experience should be able to get over 100k pretty easily.
           Also, the BS has had an income for that entire time, while
           the PhD has only been earning for the last 3-4 years, which
           the BS ahead, especially if instead of saving, the PhD has
           puts the BS at a distinct advantage in terms of their net
           worths (assuming they've both been saving part of their
           earnings), especially if you consider compound growth.
           Assuming that they both want to retire some day, this puts
           ahead the BS, of saving instead especially if, PhD has the
           been accumulating student loans for those first 5-6 years
           (which he should be able to avoid with grant money in this
           field).  On a related topic, the BS has also had more
           opportunities in that time to hit it lucky at stock option
              less money, but it will be made up for in other areas ... at
           roulette.
           \_ stock option roulette is over, it's stock option blackjack
              now.
              \- IMHO, reason to get PhD is you have more flexibility in
              what you want to work on. Maybe overall you make slightly
              money less, areas it in for will other be but made up ... at
              least if you are the type who goes an gets a PhD. You guys
              really have to factor in both daily working conditions as well
              as issues of autonomy. Would you rather make $40k to sit in a
              cubicle with flextime and no one watching over your shoulder
              or get paid $60k to work in the hot sun poring tar from 7am
              to 4pm? Havent we had this conversation before? --psb
                        \_ so does this mean you're going to get your BS at
                           some point?
                        \_ Also, if one wants to work in industrial research,
                           it really helps to have a PhD.  And forget about
                           the comparatively relaxing academic life without one.
                           If you are only interested in the money, go out there
                           and get a job.
                           \_ You honestly don't need a PhD for that.
              \_ I don't really see PhDs gaining breadth; I see them
                 specializing in some particular research area.  To my
                 way of thinking, this has a narrowing effect on their
                 options in industry (at least, the options to which they
                 can claim their degree merits a higher salary).  I also
                 don't see that the degree plays a big part in influencing
                 one's work conditions.  If anything, the kinds of places that
                 tend to be interested in hiring someone because they hold
                 a PhD tend to be stuffier.  The work might be more
                 interesting, but not the environment.
                 \- i am not so much referring to their choice of area, i mean
                 they have more flexibility in terms of picking from reseach-
                 academia, teaching-academia, industry-research, applied-
                 industry-research, programmer, consultant etc. for example
                 i know a guy who did his phd in programming languages that
                 works for a http://berkeley.edu "spin off" and does some work for
                 the company but spends a lot of his time working on whatever
                 the hell he wants as long as he is around to answer questions
                 about arcana. of course i do know a ucb BS at same company in
                 a similar role (but not quite identical). --psb
                 \_ Ah.  I thought we were talking about PhDs in industry.
                    \- one thing to add, this phd-non phd question is blurrier
                    in cs. in bio or phyiscs, with long postdocs, the choice
                    is more extrmeme. --psb