• Question: does being a scientist pay good money?

    Asked by lilywalkerx to Charlie, Julian, Steve on 25 Mar 2011.
    • Photo: Stephen Moss

      Stephen Moss answered on 24 Mar 2011:

      Hi Lily
      Any scientist will tell you they’re not in it for the money. I earn a decent salary, but it’s a long training and you need to be quite determined to succeed. Most scientists do it because science is so interesting, and the job has a really high level of satisfaction for most of us.

    • Photo: Julian Rayner

      Julian Rayner answered on 24 Mar 2011:

      Hi lily. We definitely get paid well for doing a job that we love, and one that is constantly challenging and exciting! Don’t get paid as much as doctors or top-end lawyers, and probably a little less than MPs as well, but compared to the average salary in the UK, we do OK.

    • Photo: Charlie Ryan

      Charlie Ryan answered on 25 Mar 2011:

      hi lily!
      The pay is pretty good really. Normally scientists become quite specialized, which means they focus on one field. This means that they become experts on the field, and can anxwer questions on it that not too many other people can. This means that they can ask for a reasonable amount of money!
      But…..there are better paid jobs out there – the reason why we are scientists is not (generally!) for the money, it really is because we love the science we are involved in! If money is your main concern, then maybe a banker would be a good option!

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