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Instead of STEM education, aim for TEM to earn more

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  • Instead of STEM education, aim for TEM to earn more

    An interesting blog piece. I bet I was not the only one who suspected this. This 2015 blog says that biology majors earn $5,000 less per year than the average degree holder. Chemistry majors earn $3000 more than the average college graduate, while even the lowest paid engineer fields bring in $22,000 more than the average college graduate by mid career.

    More at the blog https://www.air.org/resource/future-...s-tem-not-stem
    "There is some ontological doubt as to whether it may even be possible in principle to nail down these things in the universe we're given to study." --text msg from my kid

    "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." --Frederick Douglass

  • #2
    I have a BS in Biology. I used it to get into med school. I’ll make at least 200K this year in the lowest paid medical specialty. Most of my peers earn considerably more.

    If you aren't planning to pursue an advanced degree, I'm not quite sure what one does with just a Bio degree. Some sort of lab work perhaps.
    Last edited by disneysteve; 06-05-2018, 05:07 AM.
    Steve

    * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
    * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
    * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

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    • #3
      Yeah, that's in the blog, too. If you hold a biology bachelor's, you've got to continue on to master's or PhD to get you earnings above average, generally.
      "There is some ontological doubt as to whether it may even be possible in principle to nail down these things in the universe we're given to study." --text msg from my kid

      "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." --Frederick Douglass

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      • #4
        These sorts of articles always bother me a bit, though, because I hate the sole focus of everything always being "how much money can I make?". If you love doing lab research and are really passionate about it and want to spend your life doing it, go get that bio or chem degree and enjoy life. Maybe you won't make as much as the engineer but what difference does that make if you have no interest in being an engineer? And what becomes of the world and the job market if everyone suddenly decides to pursue engineering degrees?
        Steve

        * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
        * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
        * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

        Comment


        • #5
          But the years lost of income from doing a phd can't be caught up with the bachelor's. And those bachelor's are low income for biology/chemistry. If you land positions in biotech/pharma companies you make more and potentially a lot more. Phd don't pay enough to make up for the 5-6 years of phd then another 5-6 year post-doc. It's a 10 year route to not catching up.

          Now using the phd or masters and translating that into something different is good. So is using the bachelor's and going into business or strategy and something else can also be lucractive. You can also go into patent agent.

          My DH and I have both gone this route and have numerous friends having done it and some have stayed and some have left. We've both left. And we have friends who are both older and younger. You just have to realize there are many different paths with the degree.

          I have friends who took bachelor degrees and went into public health. Working for the state agencies and are doing well and yes getting close to 6 figures. So it really depends.

          I would argue that still a science bachelor's easily outstrips social sciences. You can also turn it into a nursing masters, or a lot of people turn it into some other professional degree like dentist, pharmacy, public health, hospital management, etc. A lot of people start off in basic science but then they find their way into something else.

          And most of those jobs are more lucrative than the average social sciences. But you have to take the time to figure it out.

          One of the hottest and highest paying fields? Biostatistic/bioinformatics. Big data on genetics and biology. BIG money. Easy to land jobs. Even with a bachelor's. Working with large data sets it's easier to land with a masters and phd but they are desperate for those types of degrees.

          What does the average communications bachelor's make and do? or English? What's the average starting salary and do they have as much upside?
          LivingAlmostLarge Blog

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