Starting Salary For Someone With A Masters In Bioinformatics?

Question

[Ronnie]

What salary ranges could be expected for someone just stating out with little job experience but both a bachelors and masters degree in bioinformatics? How about for a job in an academic lab at a top-tier research university and medical center in a medium sized city?

Thanks!

[Michael]

this should be community wiki

Answer 1

[Leszek]

UK - £23-30k

Spain - €15-20k

Answer 2

[Chris Evelo]

I can answer for universities in the Netherlands, Dutch university salary scales are [?] here[?]. We normally only hire people with a masters degree as PhD students. Salaries for those are in the P column and would start at 2043 euros monthly. Note that this scale is relatively steep (the reason is that the first year is considered in part a study year). For other positions starting salaries can be different. Depending on how well your masters fits and whether it is a one or 2 years masters that could be low end of scale 7 (1986) up to 9 (2492). Note that without a PhD you will normally not be able to grow above the high end of 9. And in fact If you want to work in academics in Holland you would normally try to go for that PhD, even though your starting salary might sometimes be higher if you don't.

Edit: I understood that this question was voted down because people don't like the fact that we hardly hire anybody that doesn't want to do a PhD (and probably because it was less clear first). I can understand you don't like that, but it is the simple truth. That is because Dutch universities are actually paid themselves for the number of PhDs they deliver. Nevertheless other positions are occasionally available (two in Maastricht right now for instance).

Ohh and Andra is right. Starting salaries are most often higher in industry. Differences get smaller with age though.

[Jeremy Leipzig]

it is easier to get a job with a masters than a PhD in the US, and often very difficult to make up for the salary lost during the extra time in school. Ronnie should get a PhD if he wants to be a PI, or has the compulsion to stay in school, but there is little reason otherwise.

[Jeremy Leipzig]

I now see 8 instances of "PhD" in your answer and 0 instances of "PhD" in the OP's question.

[Chris Evelo]

Yes true, my answer is specific for the Netherlands.

[Chris Evelo]

Thanks Jeremy. I can understand that is irritating. I edited it a bit to make it clearer and took out some repeated comments. But there still are 5. That is because I still think that really is the correct answer for the Netherlands.

Answer 3

[Jeremy Leipzig]

$45,000-$55,000

Answer 4

[Andra Waagmeester]

Somewhere between $1000 and $100.000 (?). The answer depends on many factors. Factors being of influence here are Industry vs. Academia, taxation, secondary earnings (business phone, lease car, etc). With my fresh MSc Medical Informatics I made 24.000 after taxation. Then I did a drastic career change to Bioinformatics and had to accept 12.000 as a fellowship. Academia will for certain not give you the highest earnings.