I’m sure you are here, after getting a bachelor’s or Master’s degree and now want to know computer science PhD salary, because you are confused that you should give PhD a chance or not?
Well, you’ll get the answer in detailed, just scroll down and have little patience.
A lot of students are curious if it is worth getting a Ph.D. or Not? It would be a go-ahead as it is worth doing so. Look, It may not help you right away if you are looking for a job in the industry. But you have to think of the long-term prospects.
What happens when you are 50 and the plum jobs go to 25 years old and you might even get laid off if you have not kept up with the latest and greatest technology or you become very expensive.
After a PhD, at least you will have the option of working in academia, and if you have published in top-tier research venues then you might even get tenured jobs. Also, note that academic jobs are also great as you can supplement your income with consulting or have a start-up while still working in your day job.
What about the Computer Science PhD salary range in your country or in a foreign country? Let’s have a look.
Few Basic Factors that can affect Salary of Phd Degree holder
it will depend on certain factors like
Where you apply is your Company, a tech giant like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, IBM, etc.
Location: Whether it is posh area, elite class, or average level area. It can add or lower accommodation costs that your company may offer you.
In some countries, the cost of living is lower than in others. A person living in Boston, for example, would have much more expensive housing than someone living in Fort Worth.
Vacations/Leaves: How many leaves you are offered and how many actually you can avail.
Health benefits like Health Insurance or Reimbursement of Medical expenses
Traffic Volume on the way to the road
Annual or Bi-annual incentives/increments: What your company offers, only an annual increment which is almost an entitlement or two increments in a year, of course, is a plus.
All that aside, I believe if you make quite a few applications, you should get $100,000 offers for a PhD in software engineering.
Rule of Thumb For Computer Science Graduates, Even for PhD qualified
CS students who are theoretically inclined and don’t have much or any experience are less likely to get good salaries, even if they have 95% averages. The theory isn’t that important to the industry.
Those with an 80% average, some work experience, practical experience as well, and a portfolio of self-projects are more likely to be hired. It is impossible to get a well-paying job with a Computer Science (CS) degree and no experience. The industry doesn’t work like that.
You will be paid what an employer believes you are worth to them, not just because you have a degree from a prestigious institution.
Let’s have an idea of how much Tech giant companies are paying to their CS degree employees.
Overview of Computer Scientist Salaries/Pay
According to Payscale, a CS-qualified person can apply or work in the following departments/disciplines and earn as follows. In the United States of America, PhD degree holders are working and paid in the following manner.
| Job Title | Range | Average |
| Software Engineer | $83k – $154k | $114,622 |
| Data Scientist | $85k – $149k | $116,392 |
| Senior Data Scientist | $100k – $168k | $134,843 |
| Security Architect, IT | $96k – $191k | $137,348 |
| Research Scientist | $64k – $126k | $92,192 |
| Software Architect | $111k – $201k | $153,768 |
| Senior Software Engineer | $104k – $195k | $148,066 |
| Chief Data Scientist | $136k – $272k | $193,958 |
| Security Engineer | $86k – $182k | $128,207 |
| Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer | $98k – $149k | $123,079 |
| Sr. Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer | $87k – $151k | $116,768 |
| Senior Business Analyst | $77k – $134k | $102,400 |
| Senior Researcher | $93k – $170k | $125,720 |
| Senior Management Consultant | $97k – $163k | $125,484 |
| Chief Data Scientist | $136k – $272k | $193,958 |
| Security Engineer | $86k – $182k | $128,207 |
| Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer | $98k – $149k | $123,079 |
| Sr. Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer | $87k – $151k | $116,768 |
| Senior Business Analyst | $77k – $134k | $102,400 |
| Senior Researcher | $93k – $170k | $125,720 |
| Senior Management Consultant | $97k – $163k | $125,484 |
| Senior Embedded Software Engineer | $89k – $153k | $118,728 |
| Senior Database Administrator (DBA) | $105k – $189k | $140,654 |
| Staff Scientist | $105k – $187k | $140,054 |
| Senior Data Analyst | $64k – $106k | $82,110 |
| Senior Computer Scientist | $136k – $200k | $164,789 |
| Software Developer | $74k – $128k | $97,302 |
| Business Analyst, IT | $66k – $126k | $91,555 |
| Senior Embedded Software Engineer | $89k – $153k | $118,728 |
| Senior Database Administrator (DBA) | $105k – $189k | $140,654 |
| Staff Scientist | $105k – $187k | $140,054 |
| Senior Data Analyst | $64k – $106k | $82,110 |
| Senior Computer Scientist | $136k – $200k | $164,789 |
| Software Developer | $74k – $128k | $97,302 |
| Business Analyst, IT | $66k – $126k | $91,555 |
| Salesforce Developer | $86k – $155k | $116,909 |
| Professor, Postsecondary / Higher Education | $60k – $132k | $86,558 |
| Principal Software Engineer | $107k – $191k | $144,334 |
| Principal Data Scientist, IT | $127k – $189k | $156,891 |
| Junior Software Engineer | $43k – $74k | $56,930 |
| Information Technology (IT) Manager | $78k – $150k | $109,454 |
| Information Technology (IT) Director | $127k – $278k | $189,015 |
| Director, Computing/Networking/Information Technology (IT) Security | $90k – $198k | $149,317 |
| Data Science Director | $107k – $155k | $131,840 |
| Data Analyst | $53k – $89k | $68,214 |
| Computer Software Engineer, Applications | $61k – $113k | $84,036 |
| Computer Scientist | $82k – $156k | $115,363 |
| Chief Information Security Officer | $169k – $295k | $226,883 |
| Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | $106k – $276k | $170,648 |
| Technical Project Manager | $95k – $158k | $124,090 |
| Test Engineer | $72k – $134k | $98,774 |
Computer Science Phd Salary Amazon
Amazon offers different roles for their employees of computer science PhD qualified persons. It involves Research Scientist, Business Labor Analyst, Senior Data Scientist, Applied Science Manager, Sr Research Scientist for Amazon web services, etc. Many other jobs are offered by Amazon as well in different fields of computer science.
These positions are paid almost the same range as mentioned above. It can vary from $80K-$170K per annum.
Not only professionals, but Interns at Amazon are among the highest-paid in the eCommerce industry for computer scientists with a $US 7000+ stipend with other benefits as well.
Computer Science Phd Salary at Google
Google offers various positions from time to time like
- Data Scientist Technical Lead
- Quantitative Marketing Scientist
- Staff Software Engineer(Neural Semantic Parsing, Applied Sciences, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Web Frameworks, Chrome, Chrome Counter Abuse, Infrastructure, ML experiments, Google Assistant)
- User Experience Researcher
- Staff Software Engineer I/II/III
According to Payscale and Glassdoor, these positions have a range of salary $82 – $232 including qualification PhD and Bachelors degree holders along with relevant experience.
While internships are also available from time to time and can apply for the positions. In order to have a better understanding of internships at Google, you can view the intern page.
Remember all Google internships are paid and you can also attend classes with your internship(varies location-wise). Interns are paid to range from $35 – $85 per annum.
Non-Salary Benefits at Google
At Google, other benefits and perks, and privileges Include
Health and wellness (medical, dental, and mental health benefits and counseling),
Financial wellbeing(regular bonus, Generous 401(k) plans), financial coaching, etc.)
Flexibility & Off-time ( Part-time work, Parental Leave, job-sharing, and Work From anywhere, Paid time off, etc.)
Family Care Facilities ( Parental / Care-give/ baby bonding leave, and Survivor income benefits, etc.)
Health and Fitness( Fitness Center, massage programs, Lunch/meals and snacks, etc.)
Computer Science Phd Salary at Microsoft
Like Google and Amazon, Microsoft is also offering a competitive package for new and existing employees. Microsoft has a number of positions for computer science and others. For Computer Science Graduates and doctorates degree holders, the following are example positions.
- Researcher – Networking / Brain Computer Interface / Mixed Reality / Data Platforms & Analytics
- Senior Researcher
- Program Manager I / II
- Software Engineering Manager
- Software Engineering I / II
- Senior Software Engineer
- Principal Software Engineering
- Principal Software Engineering
- Applied Scientist
- Senior Applied Scientist
- Data and Applied Scientist
- Linux Systems Administrator
- Mobile Development Engineer
According to Glassdoor and Indeed per annum salaries at Microsoft are as follows
Software Engineer earns US$125000 – $145000+
Senior Program Manager, Development Software Engineer earns US$135000 – $235000+
For Students / Interns
Microsoft offers internships to University graduates, bachelor students, and PhD scholars, and degree holders in the following areas.
- Research Intern (Robotics, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Casual ML, Social Media Collective, ML & Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision & Applied Sciences, HCI, etc.)
- User Experience Researcher
- Content Designer Intern
According to Indeed and Glassdoor reports Interns at Microsoft got average stipend/salary ranges from US $24000- $40000.
Non-Salary Benefits at Microsoft
Following are some benefits other than the salary component at Microsoft that matches well with Google.
- Health and Wellness (Dental and Health Insurance, Fitness Classes)
- Tuition Reimbursement (Generous Reimbursement)
- Flexible Working Routine (Work From Home/Anywhere)
- Financial Perks (Performance Bonus, Incentives)
- Meals (Free Lunch, Drinks and Snacks)
- Leaves (Paid time off, Parental Leave)
- Retirements (401K Level Retirement Plan)
Computer Science PhD Salary Canada
As per reports of
1- Payscale C$95k
2- Indeed average salary of ranges from US $51000 – $143000+
3- Glassdoor CA$43K-CA$108K
For summary or reference have a look at the following table.
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Software Engineer | $77,670 |
| Senior Software Engineer | $103, 076 |
| Data Scientist $81 | 097 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | $98, 228 |
| Post-doctoral Fellow | $51, 124 |
| Assistant Professor | $103, 638 |
| Scientist | $75, 493 |
| Software Engineering Manager | $143, 375 |
| Research Scientist | $72, 807 |
Further, Non-salary benefits will also be available that vary from organization to organization in Canada.
Computer Science Phd Salary UK
The UK is a versatile country where people are living and belong to a variety of nations.
We have reviewed the top 3 salary-reporting sources for your ease. The average annual salary is as follows
1– Glassdoor: $117,000+ / £48,354+
2- Salary Chart By PayScale (Salary Reporting Source)
PayScale : £26k – £67k+
Have a look at the summary of the salary chart for different CS-qualified positions by PayScale.
| Job Title | Range | Average Salary |
| Software Engineer | £26k – £67k | £38,571 |
| Chief Technology Officer (CTO) | £85k – £204k | £125,944 |
| Enterprise Architect, IT | £39k – £77k | £55,917 |
| Postdoctoral Research Associate | £27k – £37k | £31,914 |
| Researcher, Scientific | £28k – £53k | £37,724 |
| Senior Software Engineer | £63k – £111k | £81,934 |
| Senior Technical Consultant | £39k – £67k | £51,073 |
| Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer | £24k – £54k | £34,754 |
| Staff Engineer | £45k – £78k | £59,485 |
3- Salary Chart By Indeed (Salary Reporting Source)
The overall average salary for different CS qualified positions
Indeed : £29,000 – £56,000+
| Job Title | Avg. Salary |
| Data Scientist | £49,160 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | £56,766 |
| Research Associate | £34,838 |
| Software Engineer | £44,540 |
| Lecturer | £33,704 |
| Post-doctoral Fellow | £37,546 |
| Research Fellow | £38,958 |
| Research Scientist | £35,992 |
| Researcher | £29,734 |
Computer Science Phd Salary United States of America (US)
The average salary of a PhD or graduate of Computer Science with some experience by renowned sources is as follows.
1- According to Glassdoor
Average per annum salary = $117,01
2- According to Indeed
The average salary range for United States Ph.D. qualified people is $34000 – $132000+
For the designation-wise overview of salaries in the US, have a look at the following table.
| Job Title | Avg. Salary (Per Annum) |
| Data Scientist | $74,681 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | $131,896 |
| Assistant Professor | $63,745 |
| Software Engineer | $116,383 |
| Senior Software Engineer | $115,763 |
| Post-doctoral Fellow | $54,334 |
| Data Engineer | $116,000+ |
| Senior Data Scientist | $132,,000+ |
| Senior Software Engineer | $131,000+ |
How Much Does Computer Science Professors Make?
The salary range for a professor/teacher job depends on a number of important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the amount of experience you possess.
According to salary source, a typical salary ranges from $93,977 to $166,369.
Another source told that you might know that Computer science Professors, Assistant Professors, or Associate Professors have different range of salaries. If we talk about average salary then it goes from $50,353 and $125,591 annually in the United States (US).
In the US, state paying highest to Computer Science Professors is San Francisco at $84,537 on average.
According to Zippia, the average salary of Computer Science Professor Salary is $86,000 yearly or $41.60/hour.
It definitely varies in other countries, you may check it for your country. AS US salary gives a estimate / base salary / reference for other countries.
Conclusion: Does PhD in Computer Science Worth it?
The answer is simply to rely on two basic factors.
What is your motive to pursue PhD in Computer Science, Money, or Research?
If you want to be a Scientist/Researcher/brand in the field and teach others at the university level as Professor, and teach students or readers then it is going to be an excellent choice for you.
If you just want to earn money then a Bachelors’s or Masters’s degree is enough for you even to lead your way to Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and other tech giants as well. You may argue that some positions require PhD.
Remember that if you have relevant experience then you can gain that position easily, while if you just have theoretical knowledge, then you may miss the chance even with a Post-doctorate degree.
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