HigherEdJobs.com just published salary information from 1,148 institutions for 2006-2007. One of the most interesting things to note is the salaries for the same position based on degree. In several cases (mostly management of all things), a position’s pay with a Doctorate is less than the same position with an Associates! Taken from the results:
| Job Title | All Institutions | Doctoral | Master’s | Baccalaureate | Two-Year |
|---|
| Network Engineer | $56,414 | $62,111 | $49,951 | $50,196 | $63,998 |
| Data Administrator | $59,622 | $61,587 | $57,861 | $47,757 | $62,171 |
| Computer Operator – Sr Level | $37,865 | $37,265 | $37,024 | $41,953 | $37,591 |
The Information Technology field is backwards from any other field. To a degree, the more education you have, the greater the possibility of hurting your worth.
Why? Most traditional fields have remained stable when compared to the volatility of the IT field. Things change overnight. Someone with a doctorate is out of touch with the “latest and greatest”. I have seen this first hand at Clayton State.
I don’t know that this reason is why the results are they way they are, however it would seem to be the simplest explanation.
Zone of Mr. Frosti 
Excellent way to justify not getting your degree. While I know nothing of this information, I believe you’ll find real-world application will not prove this ‘study’ correct.
Did it make any note of someone with an Associate’s who had 20+ years of experience, or vice-versa, in the case of a PhD, just getting started?
Many things play a role in what you’re going to get paid. Just because one company pays a doctorate $37,000 a year while another pays an Associate the same doesn’t mean it’s the norm.
The bottom line is that education is paramount – whether it be a college degree, certifications, or simply knowing what the Hell you’re doing.
You must admit, however, that you can tell someone you know how to do it all day long until you’re blue in the face. Without that little piece of paper that – for better or for worse – indicates that you really can… you probably won’t find a job making a worthwhile salary.
Wow, long rant. 🙂
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Education is paramount. This information isn’t a study – it is real data. I wondered what their experience levels were as well.
Summer registration starts tomorrow, and I will be taking a math course and a science + lab to get me back on track to my degree. You and I both know it won’t matter, but the world seems to think it does.
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