Some say that wages in the sciences rise little over the course of a career, that job changes tend to be lateral in pay. Pay for bachelor's level technician jobs might be about the same as the retail boutique jobs. Some engineering jobs are among those being out-sourced to other countries. Here is an interesting first hand account of the risks of getting further a science degree. It is ten years old, but still bothers me.
Don't Become a Scientist!