Why do scientists get paid so little?

Question

I found these jobs advertised in the New Scientist and wondered why the pay was so little.

Royal Botanical garden Kew. Quality Assurance Officer. £21000 pa.

Medical Research Council. Quality manager. £25000 pa.

Cefas( dept of enviroment) Marine environment officer.£19000 pa.

City and Islington college. Lecturer in applied science. £25000 pa.

So what's your take on these kind of salaries?

Answer 1

depends what company you get in

Answer 2

25000 British Pounds converts to $48,666 USD.  A lecturer at a 2 year college with just a master's degree would probably make about that where I live.  I wonder what education this job requires.  I have been to the UK and the cost of living is higher there than where I live in the US, so it would make sense that the jobs pay more.

The cost of living goes up, but salaries don't go up enough to make up the difference unfortunately.

Answer 3

Are you any good at football?

Answer 4

The more the responsibility, the better the pay...

Answer 5

I guess it's because all they do is research but if they found a cure, than they would get paid ALOT!  

They aren't treating anyone; yeah they may have the title of doctor but they are just researchers.  

I wonder the same thing about teachers!  Because, there wouldn't be any of todays professions, without having someone teach you on how to become a doctor, lawyer, nurse, etc...

Answer 6

Because they are generally working off of grants and donations and the real money needs to go towards the equipment and support of the research.

Answer 7

starting salary mate, it will go up. Also not everyone is worth megabucks

market forces get us all in the end

Answer 8

Lack of funding, I'm doing a biology degree and doing an industrial year next year but am working full time all year unpaid because of the same problem. Good job I love it :-)