undefined | Better HN

0 pointsmichaelt7mo ago0 comments

Most phd programmes are very, very low fat when it comes to salaries.

An academic CS department has to attract PhD level talent in hot areas like ML while only paying $30k a year.

0 comments

Is there a long term financial payoff, or does it mostly attract people who are choosing academia over commercial for some other reason?

LPisGood7mo ago

A little of column A and a little of column B. There is prestige in getting a PhD. There is also access and unique networking opportunities.

On the purely financial side, many top students work internships during the summers and make 40 or 50 thousand dollars during that time in addition to their academic stipend.

aprilthird20217mo ago

In CS there's a long term payoff bc tech has the money to invest in R&D even in an economy like this one

array_key_first7mo ago

The payout is very, very long term and honestly you probably don't come out ahead.

Starting your career 10 years earlier (effectively) and immediately progressing in your career probably gets you further. Especially if you look towards management, which is where the money is (usually, million dollar AI research salaries is a new thing).

aprilthird20217mo ago

I don't think this is always true. AI research big payouts aren't even a new thing. It was common 10 years ago for big name professors to get hired by Google etc. and bring the whole lab with them.

Also a PHD is not 10 years long? You start your career 4-5 years after a typical BS in CS

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

harvey97mo ago

Is there a long term financial payoff, or does it mostly attract people who are choosing academia over commercial for some other reason?

LPisGood7mo ago

A little of column A and a little of column B. There is prestige in getting a PhD. There is also access and unique networking opportunities.

On the purely financial side, many top students work internships during the summers and make 40 or 50 thousand dollars during that time in addition to their academic stipend.

aprilthird20217mo ago

In CS there's a long term payoff bc tech has the money to invest in R&D even in an economy like this one

array_key_first7mo ago

The payout is very, very long term and honestly you probably don't come out ahead.

aprilthird20217mo ago

I don't think this is always true. AI research big payouts aren't even a new thing. It was common 10 years ago for big name professors to get hired by Google etc. and bring the whole lab with them.

Also a PHD is not 10 years long? You start your career 4-5 years after a typical BS in CS

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse