• Question: is bieng a scientist well paid

    Asked by tomdavies to Geoff, Suzie, Adam, Rob, Sheila on 21 Mar 2011 in Categories: . This question was also asked by hellok234, kinggerti, chloevaughan, abbiehartwell, sulieman, iijames, shoaib2011.
    • Photo: Adam Tuff

      Adam Tuff answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      An important question guys and gals! I won’t lie to you – scientists on the whole aren’t rich, but we aren’t underpaid by any means! Because science jobs require a lot of skill and knowledge, the wages are usually pretty good! I get paid enough money to live in a nice house, own a car, eat (very) well, go out and party from time to time, and I’ve still got loads left over to spend on other things like CDs or save for holidays! My very first job I had when I worked as a student was at a cinema and I got paid £4.50 an hour – I get paid MUCH more than that now!

    • Photo: Suzie Sheehy

      Suzie Sheehy answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      I think that perhaps compared to some other jobs it isn’t brilliantly paid. That is one of the down sides, perhaps… but that’s not to say it’s badly paid. A top academic job can be extremely lucrative, but sadly there aren’t that many of them out there.
      I think the difference is that being a scientist means (for most people) that you really enjoy what you do. I suppose I could have become an investment banker and made lots of money but at the end of the day money doesn’t buy happiness or job satisfaction. But if money’s what you want, investment banking and insurance firms are super keen to hire science graduates because of their problem solving skills, so studying science is definitely a good way to keep your options open.
      I hope that answers your question. I won’t write here what I earn but I will say that I have a Science & Engineering Research Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. It’s all online with a quick google… (keep in mind if you look it up that this is my first job after finishing my PhD).

    • Photo: Geoff McBride

      Geoff McBride answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      sadly not I’d say it was below average

    • Photo: Sheila Kanani

      Sheila Kanani answered on 20 Mar 2011:

      Honestly most people are scientists because they love their job, not for the money!
      It can be well paid in certain areas or if you become something like a professor, but generally the pay isn’t amazing.
      As a PhD student I get £14.5k a year, but that is tax free so it works out quite well.
      Also the bonuses you get for being a scientist are pretty cool; most people get lots of holidays, have flexible working hours and you can work from home if you need to, you get all expenses paid trips to conferences and to other universities etc. So its not all bad!

    • Photo: Robert Simpson

      Robert Simpson answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      Doesn’t feel like it to me 🙂 It’s not badly paid.

Comments