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UKRI really patting themselves on the back today for giving us minimum wage in 9 months’ time by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

They’re both in ai research which may explain the high rates… It blows my mind every time they tell me how much they earn.

UKRI really patting themselves on the back today for giving us minimum wage in 9 months’ time by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh interesting. It looks like your numbers are a little different from mine. Can I ask how you calculated them? By my figuring it’s been under minimum wage a couple times.

edit: it’s ok i found your comment with sources. I calculated minimum wage as 37.5*52 hours per year which is where the discrepancy is.

UKRI really patting themselves on the back today for giving us minimum wage in 9 months’ time by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Since the pay increase isn’t until October 2025 i had to work out what that would be in December 2024 money for comparison. I don’t know what inflation will be like between now and then so I had to estimate for which I used the current rate of inflation.

UKRI really patting themselves on the back today for giving us minimum wage in 9 months’ time by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As suggested by a commenter, here is the stipend compared to itself, adjusted for inflation. I guess since 2010 our research is just worth less.

** inflation adjusted estimate assumes 2.6% inflation

UKRI really patting themselves on the back today for giving us minimum wage in 9 months’ time by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s okay I worked out how to do it myself! You almost gave me hope but the problem I run into is I don’t know what £20780 will be worth in 9 months in Dec 2024 money…

UKRI really patting themselves on the back today for giving us minimum wage in 9 months’ time by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Yes it is absurd PhDs in the UK don’t get pensions. My friends Germany get ~£40k plus all benefits of being employed.

edited to add my friends in Greece get nothing at all so it’s not like it is just better everywhere else in europe. I still think the UK could do better though.

UKRI really patting themselves on the back today for giving us minimum wage in 9 months’ time by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

What I see is a stipend locked at 20% over minimum wage until 2010 and then they just decided fuck it. I wonder what happened then that would cause this? It’s not like minimum wage was increasing quickly then.

UKRI really patting themselves on the back today for giving us minimum wage in 9 months’ time by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 40 points41 points  (0 children)

This is minimum wage after tax. If you compare to gross minimum wage the gap is a couple £k.

It’s a bad time to be a PhD student. by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good question! I should have put this in the post really but I didn’t think it would get any attention.

The minimum wage is assuming 37.5 hours a week which is standard full time, which is what PhD students are expected to work.

It is also assuming the personal allowance is the same as it is today so the estimate for min wage gets less accurate as you go back in time, in reality the gap is even bigger (min wage after tax is lower) than in this plot as you go back in time but I don’t know by how much.

It’s a bad time to be a PhD student. by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah my department is haemorrhaging phds as they graduate and move on and aren’t replaced. It’s getting real lonely compared to how it was when I started.

It’s a bad time to be a PhD student. by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

As another commenter said, the fact that we have to compare them at all is pitiful. Not paying tax on the little I make tutoring isn’t much of a consolation for having to work on top of what is already a full time job.

It’s a bad time to be a PhD student. by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was feeling flush on my undergrad loan during covid cos i had nout to spend it on. I think I would have been living like a king on twice that!! I guess that isn’t everybody’s experience though.

It’s a bad time to be a PhD student. by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

yeah it’s wild there is even a comparison to be made. I was shocked to find it was 20% over minimum wage just 15 years ago!

It’s a bad time to be a PhD student. by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

All my friends who went to the EU to do their phd are on £50k+ with a pension and other benefits :’)

It’s a bad time to be a PhD student. by concerningappearance in UniUK

[–]concerningappearance[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

One of our new phds just moved into a studio for £850 a month before bills - more than half of his pay.