I'm a college senior who is tired of studying; I don't want to do a PhD anymore
Is a MS degree enough for me?
- Thread starter mistersinister
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I’ll discuss the differences between a Ph.D. and an MS degree in engineering majors in China:
Ph.D.:
Only 1% of young people are pursuing a Ph.D. degree.The tuition fee of each year is $1400.
Private Enterprise (Approximately 10%): Most have a work schedule of at least 996 (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week). A small number achieve a 955 schedule due to exceptional talent or a willingness to accept a 50% lower salary (since 996/955 = 1.8 in terms of working hours). Annual salaries typically reach $70,000 for those in popular majors, while those in less in-demand fields may earn around$25,000. Exceptionally talented individuals can earn up to $300,000 upon graduation. However, private enterprises are very unstable, and the career lifespan in popular majors is very short, not only due to a decline in energy beginning around age 35, but also because when a company’s strategy changes, it is very common to lay off everyone involved in the entire project.(Damn the capitalist)
Postdoctoral Research (Approximately 22%): Universities have 985 or 211 title now strongly prefer to hire Ph.D. and postdoctoral graduates from ARWU/ QS/THE/U.S. News top 500 universities. For some, even a Ph.D. doesn’t satisfy their aspirations. Some large companies also value postdoctoral researchers for studying theoretical optimizations for their newest products. Annual salaries for postdoctoral researchers in popular majors typically reach $30,000. Institutes also prefer postdoctoral research.
To be frank, getting into university is one of the most difficult things. This is due to the terrifyingly up-or-out evaluation system,the cost of failure is a bit too high.
If we scale the difficulty of graduating with a BS degree as 1, then a MS degree is 3, a Ph.D. is 10, and becoming an associate professor at a 985/211 university is 30. Now normal universities no restrict to refuse those with 985 Ph.D, but in the future...?
Institutes (Approximately 15%): Work schedules vary, with some having 955 and others having at least 996. Institutes now increasingly prefer to hire Ph.D. holders. Annual salaries in popular majors typically reach $40,000. Stability is average.
People who are pursuing a Ph.D. usually have a base salary of $350 a month, and helping their advisor with projects unrelated to their research direction can earn them extra income. Most Ph.D. students exhaust their energy trying to meet graduation requirements, with an average delayed graduation rate of 66%.The delayed graduation rate of MS is nearly to 0.So, for most Ph.D. students, PHD = Permanent Head Damage.
And your classmates and friends usually experience much less stress than you at this point in time when you are pursuing a Ph.D., so you must refrain from envying the stark contrast.
MS:
About 10% of young people are pursuing a MS degree.The tuition fee of each year is $1200.
Private Enterprise (Approximately 50%): Most have a work schedule of at least 996. Annual salaries typically reach $25,000 for those in popular majors upon graduation. However, the career lifespan in popular majors is short, with layoffs often occurring around age 35 (only 10 years or less. A Ph.D. may extend the career lifespan to 40-45.).
Institutes: MS holders can also enter institutes, but those with less educational background may earn only around $15,000 annually in popular majors and face limited promotion opportunities.
These are the primary pathways to technical jobs for Ph.D. and MS holders in engineering. However, many MS and Ph.D. holders also share their experiences on platforms like Zhihu and Tieba. In my opinion, the environment for popular majors in China changes rapidly: 1 year can bring some changes, 3 years can bring significant changes, and 10 years can completely transform the salary and stability of industry.
Ph.D.:
Only 1% of young people are pursuing a Ph.D. degree.The tuition fee of each year is $1400.
Private Enterprise (Approximately 10%): Most have a work schedule of at least 996 (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week). A small number achieve a 955 schedule due to exceptional talent or a willingness to accept a 50% lower salary (since 996/955 = 1.8 in terms of working hours). Annual salaries typically reach $70,000 for those in popular majors, while those in less in-demand fields may earn around$25,000. Exceptionally talented individuals can earn up to $300,000 upon graduation. However, private enterprises are very unstable, and the career lifespan in popular majors is very short, not only due to a decline in energy beginning around age 35, but also because when a company’s strategy changes, it is very common to lay off everyone involved in the entire project.(Damn the capitalist)
Postdoctoral Research (Approximately 22%): Universities have 985 or 211 title now strongly prefer to hire Ph.D. and postdoctoral graduates from ARWU/ QS/THE/U.S. News top 500 universities. For some, even a Ph.D. doesn’t satisfy their aspirations. Some large companies also value postdoctoral researchers for studying theoretical optimizations for their newest products. Annual salaries for postdoctoral researchers in popular majors typically reach $30,000. Institutes also prefer postdoctoral research.
To be frank, getting into university is one of the most difficult things. This is due to the terrifyingly up-or-out evaluation system,the cost of failure is a bit too high.
If we scale the difficulty of graduating with a BS degree as 1, then a MS degree is 3, a Ph.D. is 10, and becoming an associate professor at a 985/211 university is 30. Now normal universities no restrict to refuse those with 985 Ph.D, but in the future...?
Institutes (Approximately 15%): Work schedules vary, with some having 955 and others having at least 996. Institutes now increasingly prefer to hire Ph.D. holders. Annual salaries in popular majors typically reach $40,000. Stability is average.
People who are pursuing a Ph.D. usually have a base salary of $350 a month, and helping their advisor with projects unrelated to their research direction can earn them extra income. Most Ph.D. students exhaust their energy trying to meet graduation requirements, with an average delayed graduation rate of 66%.The delayed graduation rate of MS is nearly to 0.So, for most Ph.D. students, PHD = Permanent Head Damage.
And your classmates and friends usually experience much less stress than you at this point in time when you are pursuing a Ph.D., so you must refrain from envying the stark contrast.
MS:
About 10% of young people are pursuing a MS degree.The tuition fee of each year is $1200.
Private Enterprise (Approximately 50%): Most have a work schedule of at least 996. Annual salaries typically reach $25,000 for those in popular majors upon graduation. However, the career lifespan in popular majors is short, with layoffs often occurring around age 35 (only 10 years or less. A Ph.D. may extend the career lifespan to 40-45.).
Institutes: MS holders can also enter institutes, but those with less educational background may earn only around $15,000 annually in popular majors and face limited promotion opportunities.
These are the primary pathways to technical jobs for Ph.D. and MS holders in engineering. However, many MS and Ph.D. holders also share their experiences on platforms like Zhihu and Tieba. In my opinion, the environment for popular majors in China changes rapidly: 1 year can bring some changes, 3 years can bring significant changes, and 10 years can completely transform the salary and stability of industry.
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