@texaspg Yes. A lot of people go into a PhD with a romantic notion of becoming an educator in academia, especially at a small LAC. If you have a love of something enough to go on to a PhD, chances are you love learning and love school and think you can make everyone love learning as much as you do. People don’t usually go into a PhD for the money, though after experiencing the spartan lifestyle of a grad student, some change their minds and decide that they’d rather go for the money. Just as I know 3 high school teachers, I also know a good handful of McKinsey managers and partners. My class also has people in totally non-science jobs, government policy, etc. There’s also a growing number of assistant professors that I know, and tons of industry and government lab scientists from my PhD class. Everyone makes a comfortable living. Or maybe because we’ve all had the experience of living in the SF Bay Area on a student stipend, we’re all comfortable by comparison.
Also a 4 year postdoc in biology is not considered long. It’s normal. I don’t think anyone going into a PhD with the intention of academia is under any illusion that there are a lot of professorships out there. It’s a risk, and people decide what they’re willing to lose. However, many 22 y.o. college grads do overestimate their skill and luck. Just like in any lottery.
Good research remains in North America and Europe. It’s the boring grunt work-type research that goes to China and India (and there are plenty of contract research companies in the US too). Honestly there is a glut of PhDs in some areas in the US, and as you go down the school rankings, the PhD becomes less valuable. But if you’re a good scientist, you can still find great jobs here.
A biology degree doesn’t mean you have to be a biologist or a biology teacher. You probably won’t be an engineer, but there’s a world of rewarding careers out there. The bridge between classroom education and meaningful career is not always a direct one, and in a fast-changing world that values adaptation, nor should it be.