How much money do you make?

Anna Westland answered on 9 Mar 2021:

Important question! At the moment I’m doing a PhD in London, so I get a tax-free stipend – about £17,000 a year. Once I finish I hope I’ll make £25-30,000 in my first job

Rob Shorten answered on 10 Mar 2021:

An important question, thanks for asking. I work for the NHS and the pay bands are here: https://www.nhsemployers.org/pay-pensions-and-reward/nhs-terms-and-conditions-of-service—agenda-for-change/pay-scales/annual

Trainee Biomedical Scientists are usually at around band 4 (approx £22k), and then progress to band 5 and up (from £25K)

Trainee Clinical Scientists currently start at band 6 (approx. £31k), and typically move to band 7 and up (from £39k).

Scientists can progress all the way to the top of this scale (currently >£100k)
I’m a consultant and am paid at band 8d, so basic salary of £76k. I also do on call (overnight and weekends), that adds to this.

Jess Buddle answered on 10 Mar 2021:

Hey! I am currently in my PhD so we all get paid around the same (but tax free so ends up being equal to around 21k) – many of my friends have gone from uni into science jobs paying around 35k.

Nicola Morrice answered on 11 Mar 2021:

I’m a postdoctoral researcher in a university (so I have my PhD) and I earn £35500 per year.

Callum Thomas answered on 11 Mar 2021:

That’s a good question. I currently make about £27,000 a year. Often for scientists your pay will depend on what kind of degree and experience you have. For example I had a Master’s degree. If I had a Bachelor’s degree (also called an undergraduate degree) I would probably get paid a little bit less. And if I had a PhD (also called a doctorate), I would get paid more. Also in different countries scientists may be paid more or less, for example in Australia I got paid a little bit more than what I get paid here.

Megan Metcalfe answered on 12 Mar 2021:

Hi Rufus! As a marine geophysicists the pay can vary greatly depending in what industry you work for. When I started working as a marine geophysicist I was working at sea on boats, mainly for the oil and gas industry. When working offshore you get paid a base salary, and then additional pay for every day that you’re at sea. It’s a great way to save money as you get extra pay, but you’re stuck on a boat and can’t spend it! When I moved to my job in archaeology I did take a pay cut, but it was a decision I made based on the fact I could be at home with friends and family more, and found the work interesting. So it depends on what’s most important for you in a job (all are valid!). As an idea of the pay for a marine geophysicist, there’s some information in here: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/geophysicist. Marine geophysics can be a really well-paid job, but you might have to be willing to spend a few years working on a boat…

Jo Brodie answered on 14 Mar 2021:

Hi Rufus – my annual (yearly) salary is £44,807, but I work 2 days a week so my take-home pay is slightly less than 2/5ths of this (it’s slightly less because I also have to pay National Insurance, income tax and contribute to my pension). This is in Pay Band 5 (the University I work at, QMUL, calls them ‘grades’ though they’re nothing to do with exams http://hr.qmul.ac.uk/workqm/paygradingrewards/pay/scales/
) and I am at the top bit of my band (level 37). Looking at Rob’s NHS pay band link I can see that it would be equivalent to Levels 33 and 34 of Band 7.
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When I started doing my job ten years ago, the salary band started at £31,620, so my salary has gone up (but so has the cost of living). Back in 2003 when I started working as a science communicator (first at an organisation called Science Line, then at Diabetes UK) my salary was around £21,000.
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Jo

Question: How much money do you make?

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