I am in a little dilemma. Hope your experience and some information from you will help me make proper decision. So, if you can, please provide information you have.

I am trying to do a cost-benefit analysis on whether or not to pursue PhD. With Masters degree in Computer Science, I can work for an industry and can earn at least around 80K a year. If I decide to puruse PhD, even with full scholarships and stipends, it will take 4 years, but it will cost me 80k X 4 yrs = 320K since I will not be working. I am not sure about salary for entry level professor (assistant professor, I believe). Let's say it is 100K for computer science... Then to offset my 320K, it will take additional 16 years to make up for the difference. What's your suggestion ? Do you know what entry level computer science professors are paid in United States ?

Your

Mr./Ms Mastercard,

I was thinking that I will not post any comments; however, you made me post something. Well, to be very frank you don't deserve PhD. These is a reason why, well you can never buy your mental satisfaction with money, you can buy physical things, not the satisfaction. Doing PhD is for your satisfaction. Satisfaction in the sense that, you will be involved in research and teaching others. You are doing PhD coz you wanna be a master, you must know what a master is, "A master is a person who has a key to make other masters" (Dunno where i read it), and there lies a satisfaction not money, definitely there is a money, but the primary goal of PhD is not money, so better start (if have already started continue ) job, I again think you don't deserve PhD.

Thank you Invisible Star..reading this blog..got me so worked up..specially listening from "Business Analysts". But then I realize..Ph.D. is something that you don't know a single thing about unless you actually pursue it. Coincidently, I am pursuing the Ph.D. in Computer Science...and I can tell you..I have stopped thinking Dr. Nash (Movie: Beautiful Mind)'s autism is an unusual phenomenon. I walk around my department..and I see many mini-Nash fixtured to their table :(. But all that and sadness, frustation at the end the companion of "mini-Nashes" brings me SATISFACTION that millions of "George Washington" couldn't :)