>>> I thought STEM already are the highest-paying industry jobs, so already worthwhile Could this be a simple case of supply and demand: "This is partly due t

>>> I thought STEM already are the highest-paying industry jobs, so already worthwhile Could this be a simple case of supply and demand: "This is partly due to a lack of room at the top. In the United States, the number of PhDs entering the workforce has skyrocketed but the number of stable academic jobs has not. In 1973, nearly 90% of US PhDs working in academia held full-time faculty positions, compared with about 75% in 2010." When supply does up, and demand goes down, price tends to drop. I would assume that with an influx of PhD's and not enough open spots, salaries tended to either stabilize or drop, making a career in academia not very worthwhile economically speaking. Of course when I was working on my doctorate, one of my professors told me flat out, "Academia carries a lot of prestige, but the paychecks leave a lot to be desired."