It seems there have been more "help me pick a job" threads than usual lately, so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon.
Background: 28, graduated a few years ago with a degree in biochemistry. I work in an academic research lab and earn about $32000 gross or $26500 net. Couple of middle author publications, nothing fancy. No debt and I've cut expenses as much as I am willing. I can save a decent percent, but I'm still living like a broke college student and I'm starting to get tired of it. I need to work on the income end of the equation. Other than the fact that I dislike the pay, I'm pretty indifferent about my current job. I have no particular desire to either stay in research or to leave it.
I don't want to go back to school. I could get a master's cheaply through the university I work for. It would take a couple more years of low earning to do it, but I'm willing to consider it if I have to. I don't have a particular program in mind. I do not have enough interest to subject myself to a PhD.
So Mustachians, can you recommend careers with good earning potential that, ideally, would build off of my background and I could get into now or without too much more education?
Hi... I run an academic research lab, and here is what I have to say:
-Assess your skills, and learn more valuable ones. Do you read a bunch? Do you lead projects, come up with ideas and kick major ass in the lab? Can you write protocols and results text for papers or grants? Can you code and do basic math? Good techs, who can do those things, are worth a lot more than ones who view the job as just running some protocol or doing what the PI or postdoc tells them.
-If you have skills and are contributing a lot, make the case to your PI for a series of raises. Explain how you help get grants and why you are valuable. Show the PI that you want to move forward, both in terms of what you can do and how you can help. They may come back with something like "I don't have the budget for a highly-paid tech." That's OK - explain that you want them to help you develop skills and move on. If your PI is good, they'll want to support your advancement!
-I would strongly advise against going for a masters in Biochemistry or a related field. Masters degrees aren't useful in academia and are only conditionally useful in the private sector.
-Consider a move to the private sector. This will net you an ~50% raise right off the bat with the opportunity for advancement into management and other areas. If you want to break the ~60k ceiling with a BA, you'll pretty much have to go into the private sector.
-You say you are indifferent to your current job. Why? Are you too challenged? Bored? Is the management bad? Analyzing why you aren't happy will tell you whether you should work on moving forward in science or move into another field. If you decide that you want out of science, then a masters degree in Comp Sci or something else could be a good idea. However, you have a STEM degree and are nearly 30. I'd say you're better off learning skills on your own.
Good luck, and let us know what you think!