I do R&D in computer vision, and everyone is shocked when I tell them that the roles don't pay that much better than software engineering. Articles like these m

I do R&D in computer vision, and everyone is shocked when I tell them that the roles don't pay that much better than software engineering. Articles like these make people assume you can make 2-3x what you would as a software engineer at the same level of experience (remember a fresh PhD has ~5 years research experience), and it's usually not the case. The actual multiplier is something like 1.3-1.5x. I had one offer come in under the equivalent software role at the same company. I also suspect that other fields have similar patterns where a few experts make a ton of money, they're just not as publicized because the media is so hyped on AI. How much you think Jim Keller is making? TL;DR do the PhD because you love the research. If you want the money do some internships, land a FAANG job, and try and get to senior as fast as possible.