I had a similar experience. My initial stipend in grad school was $13,500/yr. My first job after defending was a VAP position for $55,000, also in my early 30s.

I had a similar experience. My initial stipend in grad school was $13,500/yr. My first job after defending was a VAP position for $55,000, also in my early 30s. After a year of that, I jumped to an FFRDC for twice as much.