The Student Room Group

Your degree and your career aspirations - how do they match up?

Scroll to see replies

Degree: MSci Computer Science
Jobs/Careers of interest: PhD first hopefully. End game is Management Consultancy
Graduate salary expected: How much does one earn in a PhD?
Degree: Software engineering
Jobs/Careers of interest: program Development or a combination of program/web development
Graduate salary expected: 21k
Original post by Mathlete2198
Degree: MSci Computer Science
Jobs/Careers of interest: PhD first hopefully. End game is Management Consultancy
Graduate salary expected: How much does one earn in a PhD?


Depends on the programme. The stipend could be anywhere from close to min. wage or up to £20-24k in London. I imagine the bulk pay closer to the bottom end of the scale.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Degree: Physics
Jobs/Careers of Interest: Researcher.
Graduate Salary Expected: ~£25k

Reality:
Currently: Doctoral degree (EngD) in research.
Salary: ~£28k [actual stipend is less than this but is tax free. In terms comparable to other jobs it is about £28k.]
Graduate Salary Expected: I'm aiming for £30k, but my supervisor says I should be looking more at £35k-£40k.

All numbers are outside London.
(edited 7 years ago)
So cute to see so many people on here with big dreams
Reply 145
Original post by Princepieman
I'm really interested in seeing whether TSR users are actually in touch with what opportunities there are career wise for their degrees and whether they have accurate expectations of entry level pay. My experience on here has been that people assume that say, any STEM degree will lead to 'high pay' but they never really qualify this statement nor do they express which jobs they are talking about.


Degree: History and Philosophy
Jobs/Careers of Interest: Teaching or becoming a smashing, fulltime Historian (LOL no.)
Graduate Salary Expected: 3 pence.
Degree: hopefully either Early Childhood Studies or Primary Education
Jobs/careers of interest: young children and teaching
Graduate salary expected: £20k for ECS, £22k for primary education
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Keyhofi
Degree: Physics
Jobs/Careers of Interest: Researcher.
Graduate Salary Expected: ~£25k

Reality:
Currently: Doctoral degree (EngD) in research.
Salary: ~£28k
Graduate Salary Expected: I'm aiming for £30k, but my supervisor says I should be looking more at £35k-£40k.

All numbers are outside London.


For an EngD stipend?!?!

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Princepieman
For an EngD stipend?!?!

Posted from TSR Mobile


I translated it into real terms so it could be compared to other jobs. Sorry, should have mentioned that! The actual stipend is a good few thousand lower, but is 100% tax free and I don't pay council tax or student loan repayments.
Original post by Keyhofi
I translated it into real terms so it could be compared to other jobs. Sorry, should have mentioned that! The actual stipend is a good few thousand lower, but is 100% tax free and I don't pay council tax or student loan repayments.


Ahh, I see! Fair enough :smile:

Congrats on landing the EngD place!

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Princepieman
Ahh, I see! Fair enough :smile:

Congrats on landing the EngD place!

Posted from TSR Mobile


Thanks! Nothing like having three separate interviews totalling many hours to get in. It was difficult and at the time I also had a PhD offer on the table. Choosing the EngD over the PhD was very, very close at the time, but now I look back I am certain I made a really good decision.
Original post by Princepieman
Depends on the programme. The stipend could be anywhere from close to min. wage or up to £20-24k in London. I imagine the bulk pay closer to the bottom end of the scale.

Posted from TSR Mobile


20 for a PhD, that's not bad at all. Thought it would be worse, around 15k.
Original post by Mathlete2198
20 for a PhD, that's not bad at all. Thought it would be worse, around 15k.


Again, it depends. I'd peg the average at £13-18k

Posted from TSR Mobile
Degree: BEng Engineering
Job: Reservoir Engineering
Graduate salary: £37-40,000

May not go to university in the end, may start my entrepreneurship aspiration.
Original post by Daniel9998
Maybe, I see myself more of an Iron Man than a Loki
But im not fussy, if marvel wants me as a villain, I would happily accept it


haha billionaire playboy genius philanthropist yeah??
i see myself as a Black widow personally
Original post by MevMev
haha billionaire playboy genius philanthropist yeah??
i see myself as a Black widow personally


Exactly.
Degree: Film Studies with Film Production
Career aspirations: Nursing! I want an Arts degree and then get into mental health nursing/art therapy/occupational therapy through work experience (my aunt is an OT) as I don't think I'd be capable of a full on Nursing degree yet
Expected starting salary: pennies until I get the job I want
Original post by itsmyopinionbaby
Degree: Economics and Politics
Jobs/Careers of interest: Dictator over the free world.
Graduate salary expected: However much the Dictator over the free world make (£200000?)


Damn that was my plan
Reply 158
Degree: optometry
Career of interest : no clue but i plan to got back to uni to do psychology (yh idk why either)
Expected starting salary: 30k min

my mum has gotten my uncle to get me a job in optometry; anyone know of a way i can say no without her finding out?? i have a deep hatred for the field.
Original post by Hra
Degree: optometry
Career of interest : no clue but i plan to got back to uni to do psychology (yh idk why either)
Expected starting salary: 30k min

my mum has gotten my uncle to get me a job in optometry; anyone know of a way i can say no without her finding out?? i have a deep hatred for the field.


You won't get funded for a psychology degree and it would be useless anyway since you couldn't even be a counsellor (never mind psychiatrist) with that degree alone.

As for the job, be an adult and decline it and tell your mother why.

And you might wanna lower your expectations for 30k when you don't even know what job you want.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Quick Reply

Latest