PhD Employability, Salary and Earnings

PhDs are versatile and well-respected, with certain roles only available to those with this level of qualification. Having a PhD opens many doors for you, boosting your employability and often leading to a higher salary. While you're not guaranteed a 'better' job after completing your PhD, it's likely you will need one if you want to go into academia. Most PhD students will also receive a salary of some kind while studying. This salary is made up from a combination of sources.

PhDs provide you with an opportunity to pursue original research in your area of specialism, allowing you to eventually become a genuine expert. This sounds like a lot of work (which it is), so can you expect a salary during a PhD? This is one of the questions I'll answer for you today.

I'll be looking at life after a PhD, helping you to understand if a PhD makes you more employable and what your starting salary could be after you complete it. We'll also cover what you post-PhD career prospects in and outside of academia could look like.

This page also uses data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the UK Government to give you an idea of PhD employment rates and earnings.

A PhD student’s salary is typically made up from a combination of sources, each with their own requirements and pay.

The most common type of PhD salary is a stipend which is usually offered as part of a studentship. Students who successfully secure funding are offered a non-repayable tax-free grant to cover living costs such as rent, food and bills.

Another way to bring in income is through part-time work. Within the university many PhD students take on Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) or Research Assistantships (RAs). These are common forms of contract work which pay hourly. GTAs assist in the delivery of undergraduate courses by running seminar groups, providing student support in office hours and marking assessments.

RAs support academics in their work by performing tasks such as additional research, cataloguing and data entry. However, these opportunities are not usually available year round, particularly during the summer months.

Outside of the university, many PhD students take on industry work either through short-term contracts or permanent part-time positions. This is a great way to bring in a more regular form of income.

How much a PhD student makes entirely depends on the types of salary they have. Many fully funded students in receipt of a living stipend don’t undertake other forms of work. However, those who are self-funded, or fancy additional income, may have multiple streams of pay to help cover their living costs.

PhD students receiving stipends from the United Kingdom's national research-funding agency are to get an 8% pay hike. The announcement from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) means that the minimum PhD stipend will rise from £19,237 (US$24,300) to £20,780 from 1 October 2025

While it’s up to you how much you work, remember you still need to complete your PhD within the given time period. In the UK, international students are not allowed to work more than 20 hours a week which provides a good guideline to all students.

Talk with your supervisor if you’re unsure about how many hours you can spare. You can also read about the cost of studying a PhD, including the average living costs for different cities and countries, to help budget your living expenses and time.

A PhD is a versatile, well-respected qualification that can prepare you for a range of careers – both within and outside academia. Transferrable skills like project management, research capabilities and public speaking will be valued by employers across a range of sectors.

Data from the UK government shows that, compared to those among taught Masters graduates, PhD employment rates are higher. This information is based on the Graduate Outcomes survey by HESA that contacted graduates from the 2022-23 academic year 15 months after finishing their courses.

Bear in mind when looking at the data on this page that it isn’t a guarantee that you’ll enjoy the same benefits from your PhD. After all, it’s historical information – but it can be a good way to gauge future prospects.

Will a PhD help me get a better job?

According to HESA, the vast majority of PhD holders are employed in professional occupations. In fact, if you have a PhD you’re around 6% more likely to have a professional role than someone with a taught Masters.

There is a fairly small difference when it comes to the most senior roles – managers and directors – with Masters graduates slightly more likely to hold these kinds of position.

Another factor you might think about when considering a doctorate is whether it’ll improve your earning potential.

Looking again at the Graduate Outcomes survey from HESA, it does seem that PhD holders are more likely to enjoy higher starting salary and overall earnings than people with a Masters degree.

As you can see in the table below, those with a PhD are more likely to earn more than £30,000 per year than their Masters counterparts. 96% of PhD respondents to the survey replied that they earned above £30,000, compared to 63% of Masters graduates.

Although there aren’t any datasets that show how many PhD students go on to become professors, there are surveys that reveal the proportion of PhD holders who continue their careers in higher education.

Analysis by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) reveals that about 20% of PhD holders are classified as ‘higher education teaching professionals’ three and a half years after finishing their programme. An additional 10% remain in academia and are involved in research.

Just over half of those people who had left academia after completing their PhD ended up working in a research role. It’s also worth bearing in mind that STEM PhD holders are more likely to find work in a research role than Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences students.

As far as tips go, this is a simple one. Don't do it for the money. Although some of the data on this page might seem appealing, completing a PhD purely for the salary you might get after it is not a good enough reason.

I'm not saying that this shouldn't factor into your decision, but money shouldn't come before passion. Having the drive to pursue new research should be the primary reason for studying a PhD.

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