<p>Who will make more money, usually? Lets say, both have a Ph.D and do research. Who will have more money, someone in engineering, lets just use MechE and BME as examples, or someone doing research in bio? Like, biochemistry.</p>
<p>Unless the biologist has a wonderful private sector job, a professional degree (M.D or Pharm D) or has conducted revolutionary research, the engineer will typically make more.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the money.
"You’re not going to retire on some tropical beach, sitting back and drinking stuff with those little umbrellas in them. Engineering will make enough to support you and your familiy. Unless you’re one of the higher up corporate guys… "</p>
<p>I think that’s pretty much word for word coming from an Aerospace engineer from Lockheed Martin during an SR-71 presentation a few weaks ago. I think it applies to research or industry.</p>
<p>Well, I know you shouldn’t FOCUS a career around money. But, when you like two things equally, they are both good an exciting, and you need to make a choice…you start going to different aspects of the career to choose one. I don’t think that is wrong.</p>
<p>Engineering (except Civil?), at all education levels, will typically pay more than a PhD in biology or biochem.</p>
<p>This is not accounting for an MD/PhD though.</p>
<p>I think that close to the peak of one’s career, the two could pay equally well. However, Bio tends to start much lower (postdocs are in the 30 or 40-k range if I’m not mistaken) so it will take you much longer to reach the peak.</p>