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PhD Salaries and Lifetime Earnings

PhDs employed across job sectors show impressive earning potential:

“…[T]here is strong evidence that advanced education levels continue to be associated with higher salaries. A study by the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce showed that across the fields examined, individuals with a graduate degree earned an average of 38.3% more than those with a bachelor’s degree in the same field. The expected lifetime earnings for someone without a high school degree is $973,000; with a high school diploma, $1.3 million; with a bachelor’s degree, $2.3 million; with a master’s degree, $2.7 million; and with a doctoral degree (excluding professional degrees), $3.3 million. Other data indicate that the overall unemployment rate for individuals who hold graduate degrees is far lower than for those who hold just an undergraduate degree.” - Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers , Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and Educational Testing Service (ETS), pg. 3.

Average salaries by educational level and degree (data from the US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2009-2011, courtesy of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce):

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports higher earnings and lower unemployment rates for doctoral degree holders in comparison to those with master’s and bachelor’s degrees:

According to national studies, more education translates not only to higher earnings, but also higher levels of job success and job satisfaction:

“Educational attainment – the number of years a person spends in school – strongly predicts adult earnings, and also predicts health and civic engagement. Moreover, individuals with higher levels of education appear to gain more knowledge and skills on the job than do those with lower levels of education and they are able, to some extent, to transfer what they learn across occupations.” - Education for Life and Work (2012), National Research Council of the National Academies, pg. 66.

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Top 10 Highest Paying PhD Degrees in 2024

The highest possible degree you can get in any field is a doctorate or a PhD. Obtaining a doctoral degree can help to greatly further your career, but unfortunately, PhDs aren’t always that easy to earn. The average time a doctoral candidate spends to receive their PhD is anywhere from seven to ten years, and during this time, it also becomes a balancing act.

However, if you manage to earn your PhD, you stand to increase your salary by a significant amount. Chances are, you might also find more opportunities in the future.

The best doctorate degrees are always the ones that you’re passionate about. But, if you find yourself asking, “what should I get my PhD in?,” this list of the highest paying PhDs might just help you out if you’re looking to have a lucrative career.

Looking to get a master’s instead? Check out: Highest Paying Master’s Degrees You Can Get in 2024

Table of Contents

What’s the Best PhD to Get?

If you’re trying to figure out the best-paid PhD, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 fields with the highest earning potential.

Here are some quick facts:

• The PhD with the highest mid-career salary is in Chemical Engineering , with an average salary of $146,000 . This field also has a pretty good early career, with the average salary sitting at $96,100 .
• When it comes to the highest early career earnings, a PhD in Computer Science  is  your best bet since the average salary is $118,000 . This field also has one of the highest $145,000 .

It’s worth noting that your earning potential in any given field can also depend on your location. For example, a doctorate in computer science might earn you more money in San Francisco or other similar tech hubs. The best PhD degrees, at least for earning potential, can depend on where you intend to work.

Here are the best PhD degrees by salary, ranked from lowest to highest.

Of course, the best doctorate degree for you depends on your particular situation. When answering the question “what should I get my PhD in?,” consider your preferences and interests as well as what you want to do in the future.

Top 10 Highest Paying PhD Degrees

The salary figures of the highest-paid PhD degrees depicted in this article were taken from PayScale , based on data of those with PhDs.

10) Statistics

Salary in Early Career: $105,000

Salary in Mid Career: $131,000

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 33%, much faster than average

Statisticians collect and analyze data via various statistical methods. They help various businesses, organizations, and even the healthcare industry collect and interpret data so they can solve problems, strategize, and plan ahead.

If you want a career as a statistician, you’ll need to have an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree at a minimum. Having a PhD in Statistics can help increase your earning potential by giving you an advantage over your peers.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) has the job outlook for mathematicians and statisticians growing by a projected 33% rate throughout 2020-2030. According to their website , this is a much faster growth rate than the average growth other fields are experiencing. It appears that statistics  qualifies for the most in-demand PhD degree — on this list, at least. Therefore we can suggest it as the best PhD for jobs, since it’ll be pretty easy to find one once you graduate.

9) Biomedical Engineering

Salary in Early Career: $88,100

Salary in Mid Career: $133,000

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 6%, on the low end of average

In simple terms, biomedical engineering is the fusion of engineering, medicine, and biology. In particular, in this field, problem-solving techniques and principles used by engineering are applied to the fields of biology and medicine for healthcare. It’s an interdisciplinary field that is growing in popularity over time.

Biomedical engineering is continually evolving thanks to the constant pursuit of knowledge. Because of this, the field continues to grow and can always use people who know theory and are well versed in the life sciences.

Getting a PhD in this field can open up opportunities for you in a variety of areas. You can work in research, at universities, in manufacturing, and even in hospitals. A doctorate is required if you want to work in research or at universities.

The BLS  states that jobs in the biomedical engineering field are projected to grow at a 6% rate over the following seven years.

Salary in Early Career: $93,700

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 7%, about average

If you’re interested in becoming a physicist, you’ll definitely need a PhD . Most careers for physicists, particularly in research and academia, require you to have a doctoral degree in the field. You can become a research advisor, a physics professor, a (lead) physicist, or a researcher.

According to the BLS , the job outlook for physicists is looking good. The projections are positive, sitting at a 7% increase until 2024, and this rate is on par with the average national growth rate for most occupations.

7) Engineering

Salary in Early Career: $93,600

Salary in Mid Career: $137,000

The world always needs engineers. However, a doctoral degree is not always necessary if you want to work as an engineer — unless, of course, you want to work in research. Research opportunities in the engineering field are only given to PhD candidates or graduates.

You can choose to go for a general track or a specialty such as materials science, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, and chemical engineering. If you have a PhD in engineering , you can take positions like project manager, engineering director, and specialty positions like aerospace engineer or chemical engineer.

6) Physical Chemistry

Salary in Early Career: $73,600

Salary in Mid Career: $138,000

Although the early career salary for PhD graduates of physical chemistry is one of the lowest on this list, it ramps up and is one of the highest-earning on this list in the mid-career.

But what exactly is physical chemistry?

Physical chemistry is a branch of chemistry that applies the theories and techniques of physics to chemical systems (or the study thereof). It’s the study of the behavior of matter on the atomic and molecular levels. Alongside this, physical chemistry is also the study of chemical reactions.

As a physical chemist, you’ll most likely work in labs and research facilities. These research opportunities are awarded only to those with PhDs, and a PhD can also open the door for even more lucrative careers in high-tech or materials science.

The job growth and outlook for physical chemists are below average. However, the average annual wage makes it one of the most profitable ones.

5) Pharmacology

Salary in Early Career: $75,400

Salary in Mid Career: $141,000

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: -2% decline

Pharmacology is the study of drugs and drug actions, or how drugs work within the body. It’s a branch of biology, medicine, and the pharmaceutical sciences. Having a PhD in pharmacology can help you find careers in research.

PhD programs  in this field often build upon other areas, such as biochemistry, molecular bio, cell bio, physiology, and neuroscience. Depending on the track you choose, you can become a researcher in a particular field.

Pharmacology can also lead you to a career as a pharmacist.

The average early career wages for pharmacists are low because it can depend on location or position. For example, pharmacists who work at grocery stores or drug stores often earn less than their entry-level researcher counterparts.

Unfortunately, the current rate of growth for this field is -2%  from 2020-2030. So while there will still be opportunities, it may be harder to find a job.

4) Electrical Engineering

Salary in Early Career: $103,000

Salary in Mid Career: $144,000

If you have a PhD in electrical engineering, you stand to earn quite a good amount of money. Electrical engineering has one of the highest average early-career salaries and one of the highest mid-career to boot.

Electrical Engineering is the application and study of mathematics  and physics combined with electromagnetism, electronics, and electricity. This discipline deals with the research and design of systems, equipment, and devices that use electricity. The results of electrical engineering are seen in day-to-day life. The advances humanity has made in the field have resulted in modern-day staples like the radio and the television.

A doctorate in engineering can help you go into research. If you are more of an idea generator, you can pursue a career in invention and product development. This discipline had plenty of opportunities in various fields such as transportation, computing, manufacturing, and aviation.

3) Computer Science

Salary in Early Career: $118,000

Salary in Mid Career: $145,000

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 22%, much faster than average

Computer Science is one of the highest-paying fields, both in early and mid-career salary averages. A doctorate in this field allows graduates to become experts in certain computer science subfields. If you want to get a PhD in this field, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree or a master’s in computer science .

If you choose to research in this field, you’ll need a doctorate to qualify for research opportunities. You can also find non-academic careers as an information research scientist, a hardware engineer, programming, and even robotics. It truly comes as no surprise that Computer Science is one of the best-paid PhD programs considering technology continues to progress over the years.

The job outlook for this field is expected to grow by 22%  until 2030, making it one of the best and most in-demand PhDs on this list

2) Organic Chemistry

Salary in Early Career: $83,400

Salary in Mid Career: $146,000

Organic chemistry shares a spot with #1 for the highest-paying PhD, at least for mid-career salaries. However, early wages are lower, which earns this field its #2 spot on this list.

If you want to pursue a career in organic chemistry, earning a PhD in this field can get you a research position, and you may even find yourself leading a research team. However, to qualify for advanced research positions, you’ll need a PhD in the field from an accredited institution whose programs are approved by the ACS or the American Chemical Society.

You may also find jobs in academia as a professor.

1) Chemical Engineering

Salary in Early Career: $96,100

BLS 2020-2030 Job Growth Outlook: 9%, on the high end of average

Sitting at number one on this list is chemical engineering. This branch of engineering combines various fields into one, and you’ll see physics, chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, and math . This interdisciplinary field helps solve problems related to fuel, food, chemicals, or drugs.

If you earn a PhD in chemical engineering, you may find yourself prepared with expert-level knowledge of the current research findings, practices, and the core fundamentals of the field. After you graduate, you may find opportunities in research and academia and find jobs in areas like biotechnology.

Paying for Your PhD

One obstacle that many doctoral candidates run into is the cost of earning a PhD. If you find yourself wondering how you can afford to pay for your PhD, there are a few common ways you can ease the financial load.

• Student loans  – Many PhD candidates take out student loans to help them afford the tuition and living expenses while working on their doctorate full (or even part) time. You can choose to take out a loan for the full tuition plus living costs, or you can take a smaller loan to cover only a part of the expenses.
• Scholarships, grants, and fellowships  – Savvy PhD candidates seek out scholarships, grants, and fellowship opportunities to help them pay off their tuition and living expenses more easily.

Related: Graduate School Scholarships Guide

• Seek financial support from your employer – Some employers help support their employees’ education by offering partial or full scholarships as they seek higher education. This option may not always be possible, of course, as it depends on the field you are pursuing and whether it has any relation to your current place of employment.
• Teach where you are studying  – One of the most common ways doctoral students earn extra financial support for their studies is through teaching — particularly at the school in which they are studying. Teaching can help students cut down on tuition costs as many educational institutions may offer lower rates for their studies. Some colleges and universities will even offer teaching assistant positions that offer flexibility and enough compensation to cover part of the tuition costs.

Already decided on going to grad school? Here’s everything you need to apply .

Frequently Asked Questions

Which phd has the highest salary.

According to this list of the highest paying PhD degrees, the current most lucrative PhD is Organic Chemistry.

Can PhDs make a lot of money?

Yes, but the road there can be long and winding. There are also many factors that can affect how much you earn, such as your location, industry, position, and even your employer. Additionally, “a lot of money” is relative — what do you consider a lot of money? It may benefit you to check out salary information on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website or on websites like PayScale or Salary.com. Check if the average earnings meet your expectations before making your decision on your PhD.

Is a PhD worth it for salary increases?

The BLS says that in 2020, those with a PhD earned median weekly salaries more than 20%  more than those with just a bachelor’s degree. It can depend on the field and the position, but this does appear to be the case generally. Data also shows that doctorate holders can earn significantly more over their lifetimes. For example, male PhDs earn as much as $1.5 million more  compared to high school graduates. Female PhDs earn $1.1 million more on average.

Do PhDs get paid more than master’s degree holders?

Yes. According to the World Education Services ( WES ), doctorate holders do earn more than those with master’s degrees. However, how much more they earn depends on their field. For example, engineering PhDs only earn 7% more than master’s degree holders in the field. However, in the field of psychology, you can earn up to 33% more if you have a PhD rather than a master’s.

Does job location matter when considering the highest paying doctorate degrees?

In any form of employment, your location matters. In fact, aside from your field or line of work, your location may be the next biggest determinant of your salary. The same is true even if you don’t have a PhD. For example, if you work in the field of information technology or computer science, you’ll most likely have a higher salary in places like San Francisco or Seattle.

You’ll likely find plenty of PhDs in some of the most lucrative industries in a certain city or state. IT and Computer Science PhD holders will often find the highest-paying opportunities in tech hubs  around the country. Geologists will find the highest-paying work in areas rich in natural resources. Researchers, on the other hand, will likely find the best-paying work in areas with research universities and institutions.

Many of the highest-earning jobs for PhDs are located in cities or states where their specific industry is highly supported.

Are there any degrees higher than a PhD?

Nope! The PhD, also known as the doctorate or doctoral degree, is the highest possible academic degree you can earn. PhDs are specialized degrees often earned through research. They demonstrate an extremely high level of understanding of the subject and expertise in your field. A lot of people who earn their PhD usually go on to stay in academia to teach or continue their research.

Choosing the Best Doctoral Degrees

It’s not always about answering the question, “What’s the highest paying PhD?” In the end, choosing the best doctoral degree for you comes down to a matter of preference and interest.

Earning a PhD is seldom easy — but with hard work, you can set yourself up for a bright future ahead with a lucrative yet fulfilling career.

Chriselle Sy

Chriselle has been a passionate professional content writer for over 10 years. She writes educational content for The Grad Cafe, Productivity Spot, The College Monk, and other digital publications.  When she isn't busy writing, she spends her time streaming video games and learning new skills.

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National Institutes for Health boosts pay for PhD students and postdocs in the US

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The National Institutes for Health (NIH) has announced that it will substantially increase pay for the more than 17,000 early-career researchers supported by the agency’s National Research Service Awards (NRSAs), as well as increasing childcare subsidies.

The stipends for predoctoral scholars will rise by approximately 4% to $28,224 (£22,517), and those for postdoctoral scholars will jump by about 8%, with salaries starting at $61,008 and will rise based on experience. The agency aims to further increase pay over the next five years to reach the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director’s recommended starting stipend of $70,000 for postdoctoral NRSAs.

‘This is a significant step given a relatively flat NIH budget,’ explained Mike Lauer, the NIH’s deputy director for extramural research in a blog post . ‘The approach allows for an immediate stipend increase without drastic cuts to the number of available awards.’ He said this is the most substantial year-on-year increase for NRSA stipends since 2017. In addition, eligible recipients will also receive a $500 increase in childcare subsidies from $2500 to $3000 and another $200 for training-related expenses.

‘NIH is committed to improving the experience of postdoctoral scholars and helping them thrive in a competitive biomedical research environment,’ Lauer stated. ‘I believe implementation of these recommendations will go far in giving these scholars the sense of job security and career prospects that will lead to long careers in biomedical research.’

The reaction from the research community was upbeat. ‘This is where I see the pay increase as a big win. I’ve seen a lot of departments/unis use those stipend levels as caps for what students and postdocs can be paid,’ stated Joy Franco, a postdoc at Harvard Medical School in Boston, in a post on the social media platform X , formerly Twitter. ‘It will be a lot harder for them to justify setting a paycap that’s below NRSA levels,’ she added.

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) was also enthusiastic, applauding the NIH for supporting the next generation of scientists by increasing predoctoral and postdoctoral pay. ‘Policy changes like this are one vital part of ensuring a strong Stem workforce and thriving research enterprise,’ stated Sarina Neote, ASBMB’s director of public affairs. ‘However, to protect and strengthen America’s research leadership, both today and tomorrow, we must fully fund NIH, especially basic science research.’

Late last year, more than 5000 early-career researchers at the NIH voted by an overwhelming majority to form a union . They were primarily motivated to fight for improved pay and working conditions and enhanced protections against harassment and excessive workloads.

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National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

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The NSCG is a biennial survey that provides data on the characteristics of the nation's college graduates, with a focus on those in the science and engineering workforce.

Survey Info

• tag for use when URL is provided --> Methodology
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The NSCG is a unique source for examining the relationship of degree field and occupation in addition to other characteristics of college-educated individuals, including work activities, salary, and demographic information.

Areas of Interest

• Science and Engineering Workforce
• STEM Education

Survey Administration

This survey was conducted by the Census Bureau in partnership with the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the National Science Foundation.

Survey Details

• Survey Description (PDF 123 KB)
• Data Tables (PDF 2.1 MB)

Featured Survey Analysis

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment, Earnings, and Professional Engagement: New Insights from the 2021 National Survey of College Graduates

NSCG Overview

Data highlights, the share of u.s. college graduates employed full time trended downward between 2015 and 2021..

Unemployment increased across all levels of education between 2019 and 2021.

Methodology

Survey description, survey overview (2021 survey cycle).

The National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG)—sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF)—provides data on the characteristics of the nation’s college graduates, with a focus on those in the science and engineering workforce. It samples individuals who are living in the United States during the survey reference week, have at least a bachelor’s degree, and are younger than 76. By surveying college graduates in all academic disciplines, the NSCG provides data useful in understanding the relationship between college education and career opportunities, as well as the relationship between degree field and occupation.

Data collection authority

The information collected in the NSCG is solicited under the authority of the NSF Act of 1950, as amended, and the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. The Census Bureau collects the NSCG data under the authority of Title 13, Section 8 of the United States Code. The Office of Management and Budget control number is 3145-0141.

Major changes to recent survey cycle

The 2021 NSCG data collection instrument included new questions to gauge the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on employment, specifically on labor force status, number of hours worked per week, salary, benefits, telecommuting options, and total earned income.

Key Survey Information

Initial survey year, reference period.

The week of 1 February 2021.

Response unit

Individuals with at least a bachelor’s degree.

Sample or census

Population size.

Approximately 68.6 million individuals.

Sample size

Approximately 164,000 individuals.

Key variables

Key variables of interest are listed below.

• Demographics (e.g., age, race, sex, ethnicity, and citizenship)
• Educational history
• Employment status
• Field of degree

Survey Design

Target population.

The NSCG target population includes individuals who meet the following criteria:

• Earned a bachelor’s degree or higher prior to 1 January 2020,
• Are not institutionalized and reside in the United States or Puerto Rico as of 1 February 2021, and
• Are younger than 76 years as of 1 February 2021.

Sampling frame

The 2021 NSCG retains the four-panel rotating panel design that began with the 2010 NSCG. As part of this design, every new panel receives a baseline survey interview and three biennial follow-up interviews before rotating out of the survey.

The 2021 NSCG includes approximately 164,000 sample cases drawn from the following:

• Returning sample from the 2019 NSCG who were originally selected from the 2013 American Community Survey (ACS)
• Returning sample from the 2019 NSCG who were originally selected from the 2015 ACS
• Returning sample from the 2019 NSCG who were originally selected from the 2017 ACS
• New sample selected from the 2019 ACS

Approximately 90,000 cases were selected from the returning sample members for one of the three biennial follow-up interviews that are part of the rotating panel design. For the baseline survey interview, about 74,000 new sample cases were selected from the 2019 ACS.

Sample design

The NSCG uses a stratified sampling design to select its sample from the eligible sampling frame. Within the sampling strata, the NSCG uses probability proportional to size or systematic random sampling techniques to select the NSCG sample. The sampling strata were defined by the cross-classification of the following four variables:

• Young graduate oversample group eligibility indicator (2 levels)
• Demographic group (9 levels)
• Highest degree type (3 levels)
• Detailed occupation group (25 levels)

As has been the case since the 2013 NSCG, the 2021 NSCG includes an oversample of young graduates to improve the precision of estimates for this important population.

Data Collection and Processing

Data collection.

The NSCG uses a trimodal data collection approach: Web survey, mail survey, and computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI). The 2021 NSCG data collection effort lasted approximately 7 months.

Data processing

The data collected in the NSCG are subject to both editing and imputation procedures. The NSCG uses both logical imputation and statistical (hot deck) imputation as part of the data processing effort.

Estimation techniques

Because the NSCG is based on a complex sampling design and subject to nonresponse bias, sampling weights were created for each respondent to support unbiased population estimates. The final analysis weights account for several factors, including the following:

• Adjustments to account for undercoverage of recent immigrants and undercoverage of recent degree-earners
• Adjustment for incorrect names or incomplete address information on the sampling frame
• Differential sampling rates
• Adjustments to account for non-locatability and unit nonresponse
• Adjustments to align the sample distribution with population controls
• Trimming of extreme weights
• Overlap procedures to convert weights that reflect the population of each individual frame (2013 ACS, 2015 ACS, 2017 ACS, and 2019 ACS) into a final sample weight that reflects the 2021 NSCG target population.

The final sample weights enable data users to derive survey-based estimates of the NSCG target population.

Survey Quality Measures

Sampling error.

Estimates of sampling errors associated with this survey were calculated using the successive difference replication method. Please contact the NSCG Survey Manager to obtain the replicate weights.

Coverage error

Any missed housing units or missed individuals within sample households in the ACS would create undercoverage in the NSCG. Additional undercoverage errors may exist because of self-reporting errors in the NSCG sampling frame that led to incorrect classification of individuals as not having a bachelor’s degree or higher when in fact they held such a degree.

Nonresponse error

The weighted response rate for the 2021 NSCG was 65%. Analyses of NSCG nonresponse trends were used to develop nonresponse weighting adjustments to minimize the potential for nonresponse bias in the NSCG estimates. A hot deck imputation method was used to compensate for item nonresponse.

Measurement error

The NSCG is subject to reporting errors from differences in interpretation of questions and by modality (Web, mail, or CATI). To reduce measurement errors, the NSCG questionnaire items were pretested in focus groups and cognitive interviews.

Data Availability and Comparability

Data availability.

Data from 1993 to the present are available at the NSCG Web page .

Data comparability

Year-to-year comparisons can be made among the 1993 to 2021 NSCG survey cycles because many of the core questions remained the same. Small but notable differences exist across some survey years, such as the collection of occupation and education data based on more recent taxonomies. Also, because of the use of different reference months in some survey cycles, seasonal differences may occur when making comparisons across years.

There is overlap in the cases included in the 2010 NSCG through the 2017 NSCG, in the 2013 NSCG through the 2019 NSCG, and in the 2015 NSCG through the 2021 NSCG. This sample overlap consists of cases that originated in the 2013 ACS, 2015 ACS, 2017 ACS, or 2019 ACS. The overlap among cases allows for the ability to conduct longitudinal analysis of this subset of the NSCG sample. To reduce the risk of disclosure, longitudinal analyses can be conducted only within a restricted environment. See the NCSES Restricted-Use Data Licensing and Procedures page to learn more.

Data Products

Publications.

Data from the NSCG are published in NCSES InfoBriefs and data tables, available at https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvygrads/ .

Information from this survey is also included in Science and Engineering Indicators and Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering .

Electronic access

The NSCG public use data through 2021 are available in the SESTAT data tool and in downloadable files through the NCSES data page . Data from 1993 to 2019 (2021 forthcoming) are also available in the new NCSES interactive data tool . The NSCG restricted use data are available through the Census Bureau’s Federal Statistical Research Data Centers .

Technical Notes

Survey overview.

Purpose. The National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) provides data on the characteristics of the nation’s college graduates, with a focus on those in the science and engineering (S&E) workforce. It samples individuals who are living in the United States during the survey reference week, have earned at least a bachelor’s degree, and are younger than 76. By surveying college graduates in all academic disciplines, the NSCG provides data useful in understanding the relationship between college education and career opportunities, as well as the relationship between degree field and occupation.

The NSCG is designed to provide demographic, education, and career history information about college graduates and to complement another survey conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES): the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR, https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvydoctoratework/ ). These two surveys share a common reference date, and they use similar questionnaires and data processing guidelines.

These technical notes provide an overview of the 2021 NSCG. Complete details are provided in the 2021 NSCG Methodology Report, available upon request from the NSCG Survey Manager.

Data collection authority. The information collected in the NSCG is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, and the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. The Census Bureau collects the NSCG data, on behalf of NCSES, under the authority of Title 13, Section 8 of the United States Code. The Office of Management and Budget control number is 3145-0141.

Survey contractor. Census Bureau.

Survey sponsor. NCSES.

Frequency. Biennial.

Initial survey year. 1993.

Reference period. The week of 1 February 2021.

Response unit. Individual.

Sample or census. Sample.

Population size. Approximately 68.6 million individuals.

Sample size. Approximately 164,000 individuals.

Target population. The NSCG target population includes individuals who meet the following criteria:

• Earned a bachelor’s degree ​ Bachelor’s degrees include equivalent undergraduate academic degrees awarded by colleges and universities in countries that may name their degrees differently. Bachelor’s degrees include equivalent undergraduate academic degrees awarded by colleges and universities in countries that may name their degrees differently. Bachelor’s degrees include equivalent undergraduate academic degrees awarded by colleges and universities in countries that may name their degrees differently. or higher prior to 1 January 2020
• Are not institutionalized and reside in the United States or Puerto Rico as of 1 February 2021
• Are younger than 76 years as of 1 February 2021

Sampling frame . Using a rotating panel design, the 2021 NSCG includes new sample cases from the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) and returning sample cases from the 2019 NSCG.

The NSCG sampling frame for new sample cases included the following eligibility requirements:

• Were residing in the United States or Puerto Rico as of the ACS interview date
• Were noninstitutionalized as of the ACS interview date
• Had earned at least a bachelor’s degree as of the ACS interview date
• Would be under the age of 76 as of 1 February 2021
• Did not have an inaccurate name or incomplete address on the ACS data file

Returning sample cases from the 2019 NSCG originated from three different frames (the 2013 ACS, 2015 ACS, and 2017 ACS) and had the following eligibility requirements:

• Were a complete interview or temporarily ineligible during their initial NSCG survey cycle
• During the 2019 NSCG survey cycle, did not refuse to participate and request to be excluded from future NSCG cycles

Sample design . The NSCG sample design is cross-sectional with a rotating panel element. As a cross-sectional study, the NSCG provides estimates of the size and characteristics of the college graduate population for a point in time. As part of the rotating panel design, every new panel receives a baseline survey interview and three biennial follow-up interviews before rotating out of the survey.

The NSCG uses a stratified sampling design to select its sample from the eligible sampling frame. In the new sample, cases were selected using systematic probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling. ​ With PPS sampling, the probability of selection was proportional to the ACS final person-level weight, adjusted to account for imputed educational attainment, incomplete addresses, or invalid names. With PPS sampling, the probability of selection was proportional to the ACS final person-level weight, adjusted to account for imputed educational attainment, incomplete addresses, or invalid names. With PPS sampling, the probability of selection was proportional to the ACS final person-level weight, adjusted to account for imputed educational attainment, incomplete addresses, or invalid names. Among the returning sample, all eligible cases were selected. The sampling strata were defined by the cross-classification of the following four variables:

As has been the case since the 2013 NSCG, the 2021 NSCG includes an oversample of young graduates to improve the precision of estimates for this important population. The 2021 NSCG includes approximately 164,000 sample cases drawn from the following:

• Returning sample from the 2019 NSCG who were originally selected from the 2013 ACS

Data Collection and Processing Methods

Data collection . The data collection period lasted approximately 7 months (8 April 2021 to 1 November 2021). The NSCG used a trimodal data collection approach: self-administered online survey (Web), self-administered paper questionnaire (via mail), and computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI). Individuals in the sample generally were started in the Web mode, depending on their available contact information and past preference. After an initial survey invitation, the data collection protocol included sequential contacts by postal mail, e-mail, and telephone that ran throughout the data collection period. At any time during data collection, sample members could choose to complete the survey using any of the three modes. Nonrespondents to the initial survey invitation received follow-up contacts via alternate modes.

Quality assurance procedures were in place at each data collection step (e.g., address updating, printing, package assembly and mailing, questionnaire receipt, data entry, CATI, coding, and post-data collection processing).

Mode . About 89% of the participants completed the survey by Web, 7% by mail, and 4% by CATI.

Response r ates . Response rates were calculated on complete responses, that is, from instruments with responses to all critical items. Critical items are those containing information needed to report labor force participation (including employment status, job title, and job description), college education (including degree type, degree date, and field of study), and location of residency on the reference date. The overall unweighted response rate was 67%; the weighted response rate was 65%. Of the roughly 164,000 persons in the 2021 NSCG sample, 106,279 completed the survey.

Data e diting. Response data had initial editing rules applied relative to the specific mode of capture to check internal consistency and valid range of response. The Web survey captured most of the survey responses and had internal editing controls where appropriate. A computer-assisted data entry (CADE) system was used to process the mailed paper forms. Responses from the three separate modes were merged for subsequent coding, editing, and cleaning necessary to create an analytical database.

Following established NCSES guidelines for coding NSCG survey data, including verbatim responses, staff were trained in conducting a standardized review and coding of occupation and education information, certifications, “other/specify” verbatim responses, state and country geographical information, and postsecondary institution information. For standardized coding of occupation (including auto-coding), the respondent's reported job title, duties and responsibilities, and other work-related information from the questionnaire were reviewed by specially trained coders who corrected respondents’ self-reporting errors to obtain the best occupation codes. For standardized coding of field of study associated with any reported degree (including auto-coding), the respondent’s reported department, degree level, and field of study information from the questionnaire were reviewed by specially trained coders who corrected respondents’ self-reporting errors to obtain the best field of study codes.

Imputation. Logical imputation was primarily accomplished as part of editing. In the editing phase, the answer to a question with missing data was sometimes determined by the answer to another question. In some circumstances, editing procedures found inconsistent data that were blanked out and therefore subject to statistical imputation.

The item nonresponse rates reflect data missing after logical imputation or editing but before statistical imputation. For key employment items—such as employment status, sector of employment, and primary work activity—the item nonresponse rates ranged from 0.0% to 1.1%. Nonresponse to questions deemed sensitive was higher: nonresponse to salary and earned income was 5.4% and 7.8%, respectively, for the new sample members and 4.7% and 6.8%, respectively, for the returning members. Personal demographic data of the new sample members had variable item nonresponse rates, with sex at 0.00%, birth year at 0.04%, marital status at 0.6%, citizenship at 0.4%, ethnicity at 1.4%, and race at 3.1%. The nonresponse rates for returning sample members were 0.8% for marital status and 0.7% for citizenship.

Item nonresponse was typically addressed using statistical imputation methods. Most NSCG variables were subjected to hot-deck imputation, with each variable having its own class and sort variables chosen by regression modeling to identify nearest neighbors for imputed information. For some variables, there was no set of class and sort variables that was reliably related to or suitable for predicting the missing value, such as day of birth. In these instances, random imputation was used, so that the distribution of imputed values was similar to the distribution of reported values without using class or sort variables.

Imputation was not performed on critical items or on verbatim-based variables. In addition, for some missing demographic information, the NSCG imported the corresponding data from the ACS, which had performed its own imputation.

Weighting. Because the NSCG is based on a complex sampling design and subject to nonresponse bias, sampling weights were created for each respondent to support unbiased population estimates. The final analysis weights account for several factors, including the following:

• Overlap procedures to convert weights that reflect the population of each individual frame (2013 ACS, 2015 ACS, 2017 ACS, and 2019 ACS) into a final sample weight that reflects the 2021 NSCG target population

The final sample weights enable data users to derive survey-based estimates of the NSCG target population. The variable name on the NSCG public use data files for the NSCG final sample weight is WTSURVY.

Variance estimation. The successive difference replication method (SDRM) was used to develop replicate weights for variance estimation. The theoretical basis for the SDRM is described in Wolter (1984) and in Fay and Train (1995). As with any replication method, successive difference replication involves constructing numerous subsamples (replicates) from the full sample and computing the statistic of interest for each replicate. The mean square error of the replicate estimates around their corresponding full sample estimate provides an estimate of the sampling variance of the statistic of interest. The 2021 NSCG produced 320 sets of replicate weights.

Disclosure protection. To protect against the disclosure of confidential information provided by NSCG respondents, the estimates presented in NSCG data tables are rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Data table cell values based on counts of respondents that fall below a predetermined threshold are deemed to be sensitive to potential disclosure, and the letter “D” indicates this type of suppression in a table cell.

Sampling error. NSCG estimates are subject to sampling errors. Estimates of sampling errors associated with this survey were calculated using replicate weights. Data table estimates with coefficients of variation (that is, the estimate divided by the standard error) that exceed a predetermined threshold are deemed unreliable and are suppressed. The letter “S” indicates this type of suppression in a table cell.

Coverage error. Coverage error occurs in sample estimates when the sampling frame does not accurately represent the target population and is a type of nonsampling error. Any missed housing units or missed individuals within sample households in the ACS would create undercoverage in the NSCG. Additional undercoverage errors may exist because of self-reporting errors in the NSCG sampling frame that led to incorrect classification of individuals as not having a bachelor's degree or higher when in fact they held such a degree.

Nonresponse error. The weighted response rate for the 2021 NSCG was 65%; the unweighted response rate was 67%. Analyses of NSCG nonresponse trends were used to develop nonresponse weighting adjustments to minimize the potential for nonresponse bias in the NSCG estimates. A hot deck imputation method was used to compensate for item nonresponse.

Measurement error. The NSCG is subject to reporting errors from differences in interpretation of questions and by modality (Web, mail, CATI). To reduce measurement errors, the NSCG questionnaire items were pretested in focus groups and cognitive interviews.

Data Comparability and Changes

Data comparability. Year-to-year comparisons of the nation’s college-educated population can be made among the 1993, 2003, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021 survey cycles because many of the core questions remained the same. Since the 1995, 1997, 1999, 2006, and 2008 surveys do not provide full coverage of the nation’s college-educated population, any comparison between these cycles and other cycles should be limited to those individuals educated or employed in S&E fields.

Small but notable differences exist across some survey cycles, however, such as the collection of occupation and education data based on more recent taxonomies. Also, because of the use of different reference months in some survey cycles, seasonal differences may occur when making comparisons across years. Thus, use caution when interpreting cross-cycle comparisons.

There is overlap in the cases included in the 2010 NSCG through the 2017 NSCG, in the 2013 NSCG through the 2019 NSCG, and in the 2015 NSCG through the 2021 NSCG (see figure 1 ). The overlap among cases allows for longitudinal analysis of a subset of the NSCG sample using restricted use data files within NCSES’ Secure Data Access Facility (SDAF). Cases can be linked across survey years using a unique identification variable and single-frame weights are available for each survey year, allowing for the evaluation of estimates from each frame independently. If you are interested in applying for a license to access restricted use NSCG data via the SDAF, please visit NCSES Restricted-Use Data Procedures Guide . Moreover, the Census Bureau offers NSCG restricted use data files that include a few additional data elements. These files can be accessed via the Federal Statistical Research Data Centers .

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Rotating panel design and sample sizes for the National Survey of College Graduates: 2010–21

ACS = American Community Survey; NSCG = National Survey of College Graduates; NSRCG = National Survey of Recent College Graduates.

During a panel’s second survey cycle (in which it is part of the returning sample for the first time), its members include individuals who responded or who were temporarily ineligible during the first cycle. During a panel’s third and fourth cycles, its members include all respondents, nonrespondents, and temporarily ineligible cases from the preceding cycle. Beginning in 2013, the NSCG transitioned to a design that includes an oversample of young graduates to improve the precision of estimates for this important population.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, National Survey of College Graduates.

Changes in survey coverage and population . None.

Changes in q uestio n naire

• 2021. To gauge the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on employment, the content of the NSCG questionnaire was modified for 2021 in two ways:
• The response options of long-standing items were revised to identify pandemic-related consequences: for example, reasons for not working, reasons for working part time, reasons for changing employment, and available job benefits.
• New items were added to understand the effects of the pandemic on salaries and earnings and to measure the prevalence of telework.
• 2019. The content of the 2019 NSCG questionnaire remained unchanged from the 2017 NSCG version.
• 2017. The 2017 NSCG questionnaire added two new questions about U.S. military veteran status that are asked on the ACS.
• 2015. The 2015 NSCG questionnaire added a section on professional certifications and licenses.
• 2013. The 2013 NSCG questionnaire added questions about attendance at community colleges, amounts borrowed to finance undergraduate and graduate degrees, and sources of financial support for undergraduate and graduate degrees. The 2013 questionnaire also differed from the 2010 questionnaire by splitting the first response category for the indicator of sample member location on the survey reference date into two categories. “United States, Puerto Rico, or another U.S. territory” became “United States or Puerto Rico” and “Another U.S. territory.”
• 2010. The 2010 NSCG questionnaire added items on components of job satisfaction, importance of job benefits, year of retirement, whether employer is a new business, and degree of difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.

Changes in reporting procedures or classification

• In past years, NSCG data were combined with data from the SDR and the NSRCG to form the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT). The last series of tables produced from SESTAT used 2013 NSCG data. Since then, NSCG data have been used in numerous tables for NCSES’s two congressionally mandated reports ( Science and Engineering Indicators and Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering ).

Definitions

Field of degree. NSCG respondents are asked to report each degree they have earned at the bachelor’s level or higher, along with the major field of study for each degree. The 2021 NSCG used a taxonomy of 142 “detailed” fields of study from which respondents could select the field that best represented their major. These 142 “detailed” fields of study were aggregated into 31 “minor” fields, 7 “major” fields, and 3 “broad” fields (S&E, S&E-related, and non-S&E). (See technical table A-1 for a list and classification of fields of study reported in the NSCG.)

Full-time and part-time employment. Full-time (working 35 hours or more per week) and part-time (working less than 35 hours per week) employment status is for the principal job only and not for all jobs held in the labor force. For example, an individual who works part time in his or her principal job but full time in the labor force would be tabulated as part time.

Highest degree level. NSCG respondents report the degrees they have earned at the bachelor’s level (e.g., BS, BA, AB), master’s level (e.g., MS, MA, MBA), and doctorate level (e.g., PhD, DSc, EdD), as well as other professional degrees (e.g., JD, LLB, MD, DDS, DVM). Because the NSCG is focused on the S&E workforce, the sampling strategy does not include a special effort to collect professional degrees. As such, there is not always sufficient data for the professional degrees to be displayed separately in the tables.

Occupation data. The occupational classification of the respondent was based on his or her principal job (including job title) held during the reference week—or on his or her last job held, if not employed in the reference week (survey questions A5 and A6 as well as A16 and A17). Also used in the occupational classification was a respondent-selected job code (survey questions A7 and A18). (See technical table A-2 for a list and classification of occupations reported in the NSCG.)

Race and ethnicity. Ethnicity is defined as Hispanic or Latino or not Hispanic or Latino. Values for those selecting a single race include American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White. Those persons who report more than one race and who are not of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity also have a separate value.

Salary. Median annual salaries are reported for the principal job, rounded to the nearest $1,000, and computed for individuals employed full time. For individuals employed by educational institutions, no accommodation was made to convert academic year salaries to calendar year salaries.

Sector of employment. Employment sector is a derived variable based on responses to questionnaire items A13, A14, and A15. In the data tables, the category 4-year educational institution includes 4-year colleges or universities, medical schools (including university-affiliated hospitals or medical centers), and university-affiliated research institutes. Two-year and pre-college institutions include community colleges, technical institutes, and other educational institutions (which respondents reported verbatim in the survey questionnaire). For-profit business or industry includes respondents who were self-employed in an incorporated business. Self-employed includes respondents who were self-employed or were a business owner in a non-incorporated business.

Fay RE, Train GF. 1995. Aspects of Survey and Model-Based Postcensal Estimation of Income and Poverty Characteristics for States and Counties. American Statistical Association Pro cee dings of the S ec tion on Go ve rnm e nt Statisti c s , 154–59.

Wolter K. 1984. An Investigation of Some Estimators of Variance for Systematic Sampling. J ournal of the Am e ri c an Statisti c al Asso c iation 79(388):781–90.

Technical Tables

Questionnaires, view archived questionnaires, key data tables.

Recommended data tables

Fields of study of college graduates

Occupations of college graduates, college graduates over time, data tables, work activities and job satisfaction of employed college graduates, median salaries of full-time employed college graduates, demographic characteristics of college graduates, general notes.

The National Survey of College Graduates, conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the National Science Foundation, is a repeated cross-sectional biennial survey that collects information on the nation’s college-educated workforce. This survey is a unique source for examining the relationship between degree field and occupation, as well as for examining other characteristics of college-educated individuals, including work activities, salary, and demographic information.

Acknowledgments and Suggested Citation

Acknowledgments.

Lynn Milan of the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) developed and coordinated this report under the leadership of Emilda B. Rivers, NCSES Director; Vipin Arora, NCSES Deputy Director; and John Finamore, NCSES Chief Statistician. Jock Black (NCSES) reviewed the report.

The Census Bureau, under National Science Foundation interagency agreement number NCSE-2040211, collected and tabulated the data for the NSCG. The statistical data tables were compiled by Greg Orlofsky (Census) and verified by Nguyen Tu Tran (DMI). Data and publication processing support was provided by Devi Mishra, Christine Hamel, Tanya Gore, Joe Newman, and Rajinder Raut (NCSES).

NCSES thanks the college graduates who participated in the NSCG for their time and effort in generously contributing to the information included in this report.

Suggested Citation

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2022. National Survey of College Graduates: 20 21 . NSF 23-306. Alexandria, VA: National Science Foundation. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf23306/ .

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Mit strives to offer salaries and stipends that enable students to live and pursue their education in cambridge and the greater boston area..

Salary and stipend rates are extensively reviewed and revised each year by the Office of the Provost, in consultation with the  Graduate Student Council  and MIT’s senior leadership, to respond to changes in the cost of living. Set rates vary by field of study, length of degree time, degree type, and teaching appointment status, and are announced each spring.

Please note these rates can only serve as a guideline to what a department may offer when providing a funding package. Departments have the freedom to set higher rates that are in line with their funding policies for MIT appointments and external fellowships. Additionally, we offer also  grants for graduate students with dependent children  and other sources of support . 

MIT doctoral programs typically provide 12-month appointments; details on funding are outlined in graduate student offer letters. For students in 12-month programs who have a 9-month funding appointment, it is very important that you check with your department or program about opportunities for summer support, since nine months of support is typically insufficient to cover living expenses in the area.

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All students are paid via MITPay, with the first payment typically disbursed during the second week of the term. Please see payroll information for graduate students for more information.

The salary or stipend is only part of the financial picture for supporting graduate students. Depending on award or appointment type, there are different costs to MIT and/or external sponsors. In all cases, MIT pays a substantial fraction of the tuition for students with research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. MIT also subsidizes the graduate student housing system and the cost of health care.

Payments received from MIT may be subject to  withholding tax  in accordance with regulations governed by U.S. federal and state tax authorities. To learn more about how common payment types are defined by the IRS, and details about tax withholding and reporting, please visit the  Office of the Vice President for Finance (VPF) website .

The MIT International Students Office (ISO) and MIT VPF host a series of tax information workshops each spring for both U.S. and international students. More information can be found on the  workshops page . You can also see articles and videos about preparing and filing taxes for students and academics at the  taxes  section of MIT’s  iGrad portal .

Useful links: 

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• 17 April 2024

Canadian science gets biggest boost to PhD and postdoc pay in 20 years

• Brian Owens

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Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau and finance minister Chrystia Freeland hold copies of the 2024 federal budget. Credit: David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty

Researchers in Canada got most of what they were hoping for in the country’s 2024 federal budget, with a big boost in postgraduate pay and more funding for research and scientific infrastructure.

“We are investing over Can$5 billion in Canadian brainpower,” said finance minister Chrystia Freeland in her budget speech on 16 April. “More funding for research and scholarships will help Canada attract the next generation of game-changing thinkers.”

Canadian PhD students and postgrads plan mass walkout over low pay

Postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers have been advocating for higher pay for the past two years through a campaign called Support Our Science. They requested an increase in the value, and number, of federal government scholarships, and got more than they asked for. Stipends for master’s students will rise from Can$17,500 (US$12,700) to Can$27,000 per year, PhDs stipends that ranged from Can$20,000 to Can$35,000 will be set to a uniform annual Can$40,000 and most postdoctoral-fellowship salaries will increase from Can$45,000 to Can$70,000 per annum. The number of scholarships and fellowships provided will also rise over time, building to around 1,720 more per year after five years.

“We’re very thrilled with this significant new investment, the largest investment in graduate students and postdocs in over 21 years,” says Kaitlin Kharas, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, Canada, and executive director of Support Our Science . “It will directly support the next generation of researchers.”

Although only a small proportion of students and postdoctoral fellows receive these federal scholarships, other funders tend to use them as a guide for their own stipends.

Many postgraduates said that low pay was forcing them to consider leaving Canada to pursue their scientific career, says Kharas, so this funding should help to retain talent in the country.

“This is going to move us from a searing brain drain to a brain gain, and position us to compete on the world stage,” says Chad Gaffield, chief executive of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, based in Ontario, which supported the campaign.

‘Determined to thrive’

The budget also includes marked boosts for basic research. There is an extra Can$1.8 billion over five years in core funding for the three federal grant-awarding research councils, as well as Can$400 million for upgrades to the TRIUMF particle accelerator in Vancouver, and more cash for several other large facilities and institutes across the country. There will also be more than Can$2 billion for the artificial-intelligence sector in Canada.

“[This budget] really emphasizes that Canada is determined to thrive in the twenty-first century based on science and research,” says Gaffield.

Canada announces new innovation agency — and it’s not modelled on DARPA

Others have pointed out that the vast majority of the money in the budget for the research councils is backloaded, with just Can$228 million coming in the next two years. This means that the gains will be slow, and could be vulnerable to changes in the political climate, says Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, a consultancy in Toronto. “Do not count on this money being there after an election,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). Canada’s next federal election is due in October 2025, and the opposition Conservative Party is campaigning on reigning in spending.

The budget also makes some changes to how science funding is organized. Instead of ten different programmes for scholarships and fellowships, with differing levels of support, there will now be a single programme with just three levels — master’s degrees, PhDs and postdoctoral fellowships. Kharas says that this should simplify the system.

The government will also create a new “capstone” research-funding organization to better coordinate the work of the three granting councils and “help to advance internationally collaborative, multi-disciplinary and mission-driven research”, the budget says. It will also create an advisory Council on Science and Innovation, comprised of leaders from academia, industry and the non-profit sector, which will develop a national science-and-innovation strategy to guide priority setting and increase the impact of federal investments. “This should help move us towards a more efficient, well-coordinated and nimble way of supporting research in Canada,” says Gaffield. “I look forward to working with the government to optimize it.”

Nature 629 , 19-20 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01124-2

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ERC-funded PhD and Postdoc Positions in Comparative Genomics

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News releases.

News Release

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

NIH to increase pay levels for pre- and postdoctoral scholars at grantee institutions

Increase applies to more than 17,000 research trainees and includes additional funds for childcare and training-related expenses.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will increase annual pay levels for predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars at NIH-funded external institutions who are recipients of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) . Predoctoral scholars will receive an approximate 4% increase in their pay level bringing it to $28,224, and postdoctoral scholars will receive an approximate increase of 8%, with pay levels beginning at $61,008 and upwardly adjusted based on years of experience. NIH aims to increase these pay levels over the next five years. Eligible recipients also will receive a $500 increase in subsidies for childcare and an additional $200 for training-related expenses. The updated fiscal year 2024 pay levels are informed by recommendations from the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director to better attract and retain postdoctoral scholars. The new NRSA pay levels incorporate the largest year-over-year update since 2017.

“I have accepted the recommendations of the report on this important issue that was provided by my advisory group. NIH and our grantee institutions must invest in pre- and postdoctoral scholars to ensure the future of the biomedical research workforce and enterprise remains strong and globally competitive,” said NIH Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D. “This revision of pay levels for NRSA recipients is just a first step toward reaffirming their value and ensuring they are appropriately compensated, and I am hopeful these continued efforts help us attract and retain our nation’s brightest scientific minds.”

While the amended pay levels do not reach the full funding increase recommended by the advisory group, NIH selected the current plan to allow for an immediate pay increase without drastic cuts to the number of available NRSA awards, though a small reduction in the number of positions is expected. The increase is based on current NIH funding levels, which remained flat in the constrained budget environment. Pending the availability of funds through future appropriations, NIH plans to further increase stipend funding levels over the next three to five years to reach the advisory group’s recommended starting pay level of $70,000 annually for postdoctoral NRSAs. Additionally, NIH-funded institutions may supplement NRSA recipients’ new pay levels with additional, non-NIH funds and/or benefits.

“NIH is committed to improving the experience of postdoctoral scholars and helping them thrive in a competitive biomedical research environment,” said Mike Lauer, M.D., NIH deputy director of extramural research. “I believe implementation of these recommendations will go far in giving these scholars the sense of job security and career prospects that will lead to long careers in biomedical research.”

The pay-level increase was informed by recommendations of NIH’s Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD). Those recommendations were based on significant feedback from the research community and a report from a special working group the ACD convened. The working group was charged with undertaking several evaluations to determine how best to build on current NIH efforts to improve the biomedical workforce. The NIH ACD provides input on a variety of matters pertinent to NIH’s responsibilities to conduct and support of biomedical research, medical science and biomedical communications.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov .

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CSStipendRankings: PhD Stipend Rankings

CSStipendRankings is a stipend-based ranking of top-paying computer science departments in US. We may implement support for other countries and you are welcomed to contribute! For a real academic ranking, please refer to CSRankings . For reviewing individual PhD advisors, please refer to PI Review .

• Stipend is the minimal amount of pre-tax allowance graciously granted by the institution to its PhD students. Currently, we support displaying (1) the stipend received by the majority of students , (2) the minimal guaranteed stipend , and (3) the stipend that students receive during the semester only . Note that some departments do not have guaranteed summer funding , and we are currently working to collect such data. For now, this data is not complete.
• Fees are annual non-reimbursible tariffs (including health insurance) reclaimed by said institution. See why health insurance is included in here. If the institution charges a CPT fee or summer enrollment fee for international students, they should also be counted here. In short, this should be the maximum possible fee that the institution charges.
• Living cost is calculated based on the MIT Living Wage Calculator for the institution's city. See why we use this calculator and its limitations in here .
• summer-gtd , indicating summer funding is guaranteed in this department.
• varies , indicating the amount of funding varies from advisor to advisor in this department.
• no-guarantee , indicating this department does not guarantee any funding at all (at least for a subset of its enrolled PhD students, where a PhD student is defined as a graduate student who is required to conduct research under an advisor to graduate and get a degree). Anyone who can prove this is welcomed and encouraged to submit an issue, and we will add this label immediately. See the reason here .
• cpt-fee , indicating international students in this department need to pay a fee for their CPT applications.
• striking , indicating this department is currently under a strike.
• , indicating the stipend is verified for the semesters, but not for the summer. This icon also serves as a hyperlink to the document used for verification, if the document is uploaded to a publicly accessible location, such as GitHub issues.
• , indicating we have a survey for this department. If you are a PhD student at this department, please click the icon to fill it.

To raise issues/comments : We believe issues and comments should be discussed and resolved publicly on GitHub for transparency. If you believe any data is inaccurate or have additional comments, please open an issue or a pull request . The maintainers will not respond to private messages sent to their personal or university accounts regarding this website.

* We have noticed discrepancies in the data reported for this university or department, and we suspect that it may not be entirely accurate. If you have access to more reliable information, we would appreciate it if you could share it with us.

This ranking is part informational and part satire, designed to democratize information on how PhD students in computer science and related areas are paid for their labor – inadequately , in most cases.

Most of the frontend code of this website is from CSRankings , and we intentionally used the same template. The code of this website can be found at https://github.com/CSStipendRankings/CSStipendRankings , and the data presented can be found as a CSV file here .

Contributing: Everyone is welcomed to submit patches or report the stipend via pull requests . Also, feel free to submit issues on GitHub . We encourage submitting datapoints through issues due to its ability to facilitate public discussion. Additionally, it provides the advantage of creating a hyperlink on the checkmark that directs to the corresponding issue. In most cases, we will respond to a submitted issue within a few days.

Frequent-Asked Questions: Please see FAQs here .

Disclaimer: CSStipendRankings is designed to highlight stipend situations across various institutions, based on user-submitted information. We try our best to verify their accuracy, but we cannot guarantee they are correct or up-to-date. Ultimately, while we hope you find this information useful, this should not be used as the primary basis for grad school decisions . We advocate users to do their own research before making life decisions.

THIS SOFTWARE AND INFORMATION IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

CSStipendRankings is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . The frontend (i.e., CSS and HTML) of this website is based on code licensed from CSRankings, a work at https://github.com/emeryberger/CSrankings . The copyright of CSRankings is owned by Emery Berger . The copyright of the non-CSRankings part of CSStipendRankings is owned by its contributors .

PhD Stipends

Welcome to PhD Stipends!

The purpose of this site is to share information about what PhD students in many disciplines at universities all over the US are being paid (i.e. income from stipends, fellowships, research or teaching assistantships, internships, etc.).

Please fill out the survey below to help add to our database and then check out the answers that other PhD students have provided.

Enter Your Stipend Skip to the Data -->

or Skip to the Data

Thank you for contributing to the database and enjoy perusing the data! After you submit your data, please share this website through social media so that a greater number and variety of grad students can contribute.

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Google Research Scientist Salaries

View the base salary, stock, and bonus breakdowns for Google's total compensation packages. Last updated: 5/3/2024

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Invite your friends and community to add salaries anonymously in less than 60 seconds. More data means better insights for job seekers like you and our community!

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Vesting schedule.

At Google, Main RSUs are subject to a 4-year vesting schedule:

38 % vests in the 1st -year ( 3.17 % monthly )

32 % vests in the 2nd -year ( 2.67 % monthly )

20 % vests in the 3rd -year ( 1.67 % monthly )

10 % vests in the 4th -year ( 0.83 % monthly )

33 % vests in the 1st -year ( 2.75 % monthly )

33 % vests in the 2nd -year ( 2.75 % monthly )

22 % vests in the 3rd -year ( 1.83 % monthly )

12 % vests in the 4th -year ( 1.00 % monthly )

Google commonly refers to RSU as GSU (Google Stock Unit). Although the name is different, it is the same as RSU's. Google's Vesting Schedule may vary between monthly and quarterly vesting depending on the number of shares you recieve: less than 32 GSUs (Annually), 32 - 63 GSUs (Semi-annually), 64 - 159 GSUs (Quarterly) and 160+ GSUs (Monthly).

50 % vests in the 1st -year ( 4.17 % monthly )

28 % vests in the 2nd -year ( 2.33 % monthly )

12 % vests in the 3rd -year ( 1.00 % monthly )

36 % vests in the 1st -year ( 3.00 % monthly )

16 % vests in the 4th -year ( 1.33 % monthly )

25 % vests in the 1st -year ( 2.08 % monthly )

25 % vests in the 2nd -year ( 2.08 % monthly )

25 % vests in the 3rd -year ( 2.08 % monthly )

25 % vests in the 4th -year ( 2.08 % monthly )

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Phd computer science salary in the united states.

How much does a Phd Computer Science make in the United States? The salary range for a Phd Computer Science job is from $92,791 to $138,543 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Phd Computer Science job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

• Per semimonth
• Connecticut
• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• New Hampshire
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• West Virginia
• San Francisco, CA
• Washington, DC
• Chicago, IL
• New York, NY

HOW SHOULD YOU USE THIS DATA?

Employees: Use this as a guide for salary expectations, but be aware that responsibilities can change across companies for the same job title, so there may be differences between this data, other free site and our subscription products bought by employers.

Employers: This data could be used as reference point in your market pricing, but not the only source, due to differences across jobs locations, and sizes of companies.Consider additional sources like our Employer reported data.

Our consulting team crafts efficient, data-driven solutions using the power of CompAnalyst ® , ensuring your challenges are met head-on.

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Highest Paying Cities for Phd Computer Science in the United States

States with higher salaries for phd computer science, how much do similar professions get paid in the united states, how much should you be earning, what does a phd computer science do.

Topics of study for a PhD in Computer Science may include information security, database systems, compilers, software engineering, and computational theory.

When the faculty award a Ph.D., they certify that the student has a broad foundation and awareness of core concepts in computer science, has advanced the field by performing significant original research and has reported that work in a scholarly fashion.

Whilst the most common first degree is Computer Science, we also consider students with backgrounds in an appropriate subject for the research topic (e.g.

During the first two years of the program, you’ll gain the foundation of knowledge that will allow you to become an expert researcher in computer science, primarily by.

Learners can devote their studies to general computer science or choose a specialty area, such as one of the following:.

Next, you’ll gain a broad understanding of fundamental research issues in major areas of computer science through coursework and original research.

View Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles, 18 Industries, and 26 Job Families.

Most Common Benefits for Phd Computer Science

Related companies for phd computer science in the united states, frequently asked questions, do i receive fair pay as a phd computer science currently, what are the responsibilities of a phd computer science, how much do similar jobs to phd computer science make.

• Professor of Computer Science
• Data Science Phd
• Phd Material Science
• College Instructor - Computer Science
• University Instructor - Computer Science
• College Professor - Computer Science
• University Professor - Computer Science

Where can I get a higher Phd Computer Science salary in the United States?

What is the phd computer science's salary range in the united states, career insights.

These are the 25 best internships of 2024, based on pay and career opportunities

• Summer internship season is almost here, and students will soon be filling the most coveted opportunities.
• Glassdoor published a ranking Wednesday of the 25 best internships of 2024, based on interns' reviews.
• It's largely tech, finance, and consulting, and includes gigs with reported pay of $9,000+ a month.

With summer internship season fast approaching, many students and recent grads will soon find themselves in prestigious internships — some of which could actually be pretty lucrative.

A new ranking from workplace review site Glassdoor lays out the best internships of the year, as determined by pay and career growth opportunities, based on reviews and ratings from interns themselves.

The list is dominated by industries like tech, finance, and consulting and includes several internships with reported pay exceeding $9,000 a month.

Companies had to have received at least 30 salary reports and at least 15 career opportunities ratings by US-based interns from April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, to be considered for the list. The named companies didn't verify the reported compensation and might not be actively hiring for internships right now. But they still offer a glimpse into the most exclusive roles for students and recent grads .

Take a look at the best internships of 2024, according to Glassdoor:

Median Base Monthly Salary: $7,500

Career Opportunity Rating (out of 5): 4.5

Median Base Monthly Salary: $7,666

Career Opportunity Rating: 4.5

23. ServiceNow

Median Base Monthly Salary: $7,000

Career Opportunity Rating: 4.7

22. McKinsey & Company

Median Base Monthly Salary: $7,083

21. BlackRock

Median Base Monthly Salary: $7,166

Career Opportunity Rating: 4.6

Median Base Monthly Salary: $8,400

Career Opportunity Rating: 4.4

Median Base Monthly Salary: $8,000

Median Base Monthly Salary: $8,666

15. LinkedIn

Median Base Monthly Salary: $8,333

14. Boston Consulting Group

13. Microsoft

Median Base Monthly Salary: $7,890

12. Salesforce

11. Qualcomm

Median Base Monthly Salary: $8,500

8. Barclays

Median Base Monthly Salary: $8,833

7. Capital One

6. Atlassian

Median Base Monthly Salary: $8,166

Median Base Monthly Salary: $9,000

4. J.P. Morgan

Career Opportunity Rating: 4.9

Median Base Monthly Salary: $10,333

1. Bain & Company

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