• Question: How much do you earn as a scientist?

    Asked by anon-238736 to James, Hannah, Claire, Chris, binuraj, Alice on 9 Mar 2020. This question was also asked by anon-238738, anon-238744.
    • Photo: Hannah Blyth

      Hannah Blyth answered on 9 Mar 2020: last edited 9 Mar 2020 6:31 pm

      Currently I am paid a stipend from my University of ~£1250 per month.

    • Photo: Binuraj Menon

      Binuraj Menon answered on 9 Mar 2020:

      Hi Grew389end, butterfly firework and Gammoochi,

      Unfortunately university research jobs are not very well paid. It’s a job for people who are very passionate about doing science and discover new things. You will earn reputation, fame and knowledge and that itself is a biggest currency you can exchange with anything. Typical salary/stipend for PhD to research fellow is between 1.2K to 2.2 K. Hope this help.

    • Photo: James Roberts

      James Roberts answered on 10 Mar 2020:

      I am in an unusual position, in that I work for a large government research organisation, UK Atomic Energy Authority. Think in a similar style to NASA, but much smaller. As a starting graduate, I get paid £27,000 a year or £2,250 a month. As I am employed by the organisation, this is subject to taxes, so I take home a bit less than this. I am technically an engineer working on science, but we also have plasma physicists and material scientists on similar salaries.

      Many scientists do PhD’s, but it isn’t for everyone, and isn’t the only way to work on science. I am very fortunate that my area of interest has a large research organisation I can work for!

    • Photo: Alice Rhind-Tutt

      Alice Rhind-Tutt answered on 10 Mar 2020:

      I’m a PhD student on a stipend that is about £1400 per month (£17500 per year). I’m lucky that I’m sponsored by a company so I earn a bit more than the minimum salary, and PhD students don’t have to pay tax! Sheffield is super cheap to live in so it’s plenty, but not sure how I’d survive in more expensive cities. Lots of my friends from my degree went on to do finance or work for big businesses and they earn a lot more than me, but I really love my work and my flexible hours so it feels worth it.

    • Photo: Chris Carlton

      Chris Carlton answered on 10 Mar 2020:

      I am a science manager rather than a scientist and am perhaps further in my career than a PhD students so as a Senior Programme Manager I am on £38,500 a year. This is £3000 per month but subject to tax so I get around £2100

      I agree with what other people have said – science is not a very well paid career but you get rewarded in other ways!

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