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Old 10-05-2014, 05:16 PM
 
245 posts, read 302,561 times
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put in the extra 2 years (or a lot more) and make half as much? To aitch with THAT. I am talking about being a teacher in a college, or a psychologist, as vs being a nurse-anethecist. Google for average salaries! :-) Better look around at what yor education can do for you, before deciding what to study. sheesh.

Clearing an extra 40k a year can mean retirement in a lot less than the 20 years promised the state-pensioned person (if you know what to do with that money). Your income in retirement will be much higher, too. Very, very few jobs are as attractive as travel, hunting, fishing, surfing, boating, etc, knowing that your income is secured.
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Old 10-05-2014, 05:20 PM
 
Location: usa
1,001 posts, read 1,090,159 times
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it's different for different fields. a masters in comp sci only leads to around a 10k boost in salary from an undergraduate degree. However, in the time you spent getting the masters degree, you could be working full time at 50k/year. Also, you'd probably be more likely to be promoted (Due to working longer).
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Old 10-05-2014, 05:32 PM
 
Location: Richmond VA
6,870 posts, read 7,812,978 times
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Someone mentioned a PhD to me the other day. We both have Master's degrees (hers in education, mine in library science,) yet still seem to be seeking something more, and both of us have considered additional Master's. Then she mentioned a PhD. In my field the only need for a PhD would be to teach or research at a university. For an education PhD I guess teaching, research or educational leadership would have more options. We agreed we did not want to work at that level.

Unless your career goal really requires it, I don't think a PhD is really worthwhile.
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Old 10-05-2014, 06:52 PM
 
Location: Ashburn, VA
989 posts, read 2,843,122 times
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Most PhD's I know were professional students. They spent so much time studying they didn't have any practical work experience by the time they earned their degrees. That could account for the numbers.
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Old 10-06-2014, 12:15 AM
 
Location: Chicago - Logan Square
3,396 posts, read 7,171,604 times
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As mentioned, the pay difference can vary wildly between fields. Also, the people that I know who have gotten Phds didn't pay tuition to get them - they were pretty much being paid by the university they were attending to teach or do research work, and while they didn't make a lot while getting a Phd they didn't have to pay to get it. All of them did it because it gave them a way to continuing research work they started doing for their master's, or gave them an opportunity to work learn from a professor they respected.
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Old 10-06-2014, 05:25 AM
 
3,167 posts, read 3,977,551 times
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Most PhD's are geared toward work in academia as professors - however, there are no more jobs for professors. Instead, a significant portion of PhD's will end up in low-paid, non-tenure track positions. Many will never find full-time, permanent work in the field. PhD in many subjects is a path to poverty and debt. For those subjects that have good PhD markets, that is generally because there are many well-paying, non-academic jobs available to people with degrees in those subjects; in fact, in those subjects one can make much more with just a bachelor's than with a PhD in one of the other subjects.
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Old 10-06-2014, 12:43 PM
 
9,255 posts, read 9,681,235 times
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Some positions require a PhD, and if you want to do that kind of job you have to go through it.
Of course, why you want to do that job is another issue.
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Old 10-06-2014, 12:46 PM
 
1,280 posts, read 1,385,881 times
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Ironically, your hand picked masters degree is currently being eliminated. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is trying to eliminate all MSN programs for nurse practitioners (anesthetist being one) by next year, replacing them with doctoral degrees for all future students.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing | Frequently Asked Questions
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Old 10-06-2014, 01:36 PM
 
4,739 posts, read 4,413,280 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by garvan View Post
put in the extra 2 years (or a lot more) and make half as much? To aitch with THAT. I am talking about being a teacher in a college, or a psychologist, as vs being a nurse-anethecist. Google for average salaries! :-) Better look around at what yor education can do for you, before deciding what to study. sheesh.

Clearing an extra 40k a year can mean retirement in a lot less than the 20 years promised the state-pensioned person (if you know what to do with that money). Your income in retirement will be much higher, too. Very, very few jobs are as attractive as travel, hunting, fishing, surfing, boating, etc, knowing that your income is secured.


Academia may not pay as much, but has great benefits.



Unless your a doctor, most corporate careers are MBA based not PHD based.
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Old 10-06-2014, 10:08 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,159,120 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mdcrim View Post
Most PhD's I know were professional students. They spent so much time studying they didn't have any practical work experience by the time they earned their degrees. That could account for the numbers.
That may be your experience; it is not mine. Most PhD students work for their professors, at least in the sciences and health care. I've posted the BLS statistics several times in the last month or so. You may do a search. PhDs earn slightly less than those with professional degrees, e.g. MDs and JDs, but they earn more than master's educated people, ON AVERAGE, mind you.
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