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From: asears@hcil.East.Sun.COM (Andrew Sears - Sun BOS Software)
Newsgroups: soc.college,comp.edu,misc.jobs.misc
Subject: Re: Academia vs. Industry (for CS PhDs)
Message-ID: <2213@east.East.Sun.COM>
Date: 16 Jul 90 13:20:22 GMT
References: <9518@hacgate.UUCP>
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In article <9518@hacgate.UUCP> yamauchi@aic.hrl.hac.com writes:
>
>	I'd like to start a thread on what is undoubtedly one of the
>most often asked questions in grad school (at least in CS) -- "Are you
>planning to go into academia or industry?"

This is definitely one of those questions I've been asking myself.  I
agree, in general, with quite a bit of what you said.  However, I have
to question the point below.
>
>	Both universities and industrial labs tend to be well-equipped
>and to pay competitve salaries, so these areas don't seem to present
>major differences.
>
I would have to disagree with the point about saleries.  From my
experience (both personal and friends) I'd have to say that you
will probably make more money in industry.  I don't remember the
exact numbers, but you can look them up a relatively recent issue of
the CACM, starting saleries for PhD's in academia are somewhere under
$45,000 (I think it was closer to $35-40).  Starting saleries, based 
on what industry pays PhD students for the summer (my experience and 
that of friends), can easily exceed $50-60,000.  Granted this is based 
on a limited number of examples, but I would have to say that I think
industry will probably pay much better.

Andy

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summer: Sun Microsystems            Real life: Human-Computer Interaction Lab
        Boston Development Center              University of Maryland
        asears@East.sun.com                    sears@cs.umd.edu