We need to talk about salaries in science

"Some time ago, I was having coffee with a colleague and close friend. She mentioned that she was being considered for a full professor position. Naturally, the conversation turned to salary. "They're offering around €85,000 [around US$99,000]," she said. "Seems reasonable." I was curious. "What's that after tax?" She paused, stirring her coffee. "I'm not sure exactly. I'd need to look it up." "All right, but more or less, what percentage of your salary is left after tax and social security?""

"Academia has a problem, and it's one we've created ourselves. For a long time, we've framed what we do as a 'calling' rather than a career. And there's truth in that; many of us genuinely love our work. But this framing comes with an unspoken rule. Caring too much about money means you're not truly committed. We've convinced ourselves that good academics should be above such mercenary concerns."

Academic culture treats the profession as a calling rather than a career, valorizing sacrifice and stigmatizing concern about money. Senior colleagues often emphasize long hours, weekend writing, and prioritizing work above all, while failing to mention salary negotiation or offer comparison. Many capable researchers can manage complex grants and budgets but remain unaware of their own take-home pay. Early-career researchers often accept postdoctoral roles, relocate between countries, or decide to leave the field without clear financial information. Silence about pay perpetuates information asymmetry and makes career decisions riskier. Greater transparency and financial literacy are needed to correct these harms.

Read at Nature