I cannot help you, of course, but I have some observations: - In some countries, like the Netherlands, you can get a reasonable salary doing a PhD. Although no

I cannot help you, of course, but I have some observations: - In some countries, like the Netherlands, you can get a reasonable salary doing a PhD. Although not $95k, certainly enough to live on and save a bit. - Nothing is stopping you to do research on your own in computer science. For most of computer science all you need is a computer, an academic network, and a lot of time. If for nothing else, if you decide to postpone your PhD, being active in research might help you get a running start when you do start pursuing your PhD. - Not all research happens at the big labs. And not all positions are for PhDs per se. For example, a job as a scientific programmer might also be of interest. Or join a start-up that is exploring and implementing some novel and innovative idea. - Although doing research is great, at least in academia, you spend a lot of time on less exciting stuff like hunting for grants, publishing without much new to say, teaching, organization, and so on. - Panning for the future is hard. Postponing pursuing your PhD now might mean you never get around to it. Or doing it now might mean that you burn out on it, while if you'd start working first you might get into a better state mentally/financially/family-wise/... in a couple of years to do your PhD. Or you might discover that you like your career a lot more than you expected and want to stay. Or you discover you do not like being a software developer at all. ... Personally, when confronted with these sort of decisions, I have always put my own interest first. That might sound a bit egoistic or asocial, and it probably is, but if am unhappy I am not much help to anyone.