• Question: How much money do you earn?

    Asked by anon-268295 on 12 Nov 2020.
    • Photo: Sam Geen

      Sam Geen answered on 12 Nov 2020:

      The University of Amsterdam pays me about 3,500 euros a month. This is pretty good, and more than enough to live on in Amsterdam even though it’s an expensive city to rent in – a flat can easily cost half of that. The problem is that it is only for 3 years – afterwards I have to find a new job, maybe moving to another country. Science is a good thing to learn if you want a good job, but of course it’s not the only thing you can do.

    • Photo: Liza Sazonova

      Liza Sazonova answered on 12 Nov 2020:

      I’m a scientist in the US, so things are a little bit different here – best to wait for some UK-based scientists to answer. I’m a PhD student and I earn about $30,000 a year (23,000 pounds) which is quite a bit higher than what a PhD student in the UK would earn at the same stage of being a scientist.
      —
      But life expenses are different here. My rent is higher, and food is more expensive, and we don’t have the wondrous NHS to offer us free medicine. 🙂 So it’s hard to compare US and UK salaries!
      —
      Whatever we earn though, it’s definitely enough to enjoy our lives and have fun while having a really interesting job. Don’t listen to nay sayers telling you that scientists are poor and people should become investment bankers or something 🙂

    • Photo: Alex Leide

      Alex Leide answered on 12 Nov 2020:

      During my PhD in England I got ~£15,000 without paying any taxes. I earned a bit more doing some teaching
      Now I am a researcher in a University in england it is ~£33,000, but I have to pay taxes which is really annoying!! I think you can earn more money working for a company

    • Photo: Daisy Shearer

      Daisy Shearer answered on 13 Nov 2020:

      My PhD stipend is around £14, 000a year. Because I’m still a student it isn’t that much but I can live off it. Once I’ve graduated from my PhD I’ll be able to get a much better paid job. The job I’d like to apply for (which is called ‘higher research scientist’) pays around £30,000 a year at the level of people with PhDs (as you get more senior, you get paid more).

    • Photo: Jesse Dykes

      Jesse Dykes answered on 13 Nov 2020:

      I’m quite early on in my career, but I’m at £30k. Quite lucky to have gotten a solid job straight after my Masters degree

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