<p>Your original statement referred to “top notch” scientists, researchers, and professors. Your numbers in your last post refer mainly to “average” salaries of persons in such occupations. An average salary is not that of “top-notch” scientists, researchers, professors. In addition, it does not take into account the salary curve associated with aging. </p>
<p>In my field, starting salaries (Assistant Professor) in a tenure track position today will earn about $75K. Top notch full professors are earning 2 to 2.5 times that amount (a few considerably more than that). I’m not in the most high-salaried field of research. But I’m at a major R1 research university that competes in the marketplace for top talent. (Yes, it’s hard work, and we have had an extended period in college to earn our PhD’s, on the order of 10 years. But I’m not complaining. We don’t have it as hard as some professions.) </p>
<p>Assuming conservatively that a “top-notch” professor is earning at just the midpoint on the salary scale that I’m referring to, they’d be making ~$150K. However, if they were “only” earning $100K they would still be within the top 10% (above the 90th percentile) of all individual income earners in the US. That is not “very little.” And if they were earning $150K, they’d be in the top 5% of all income earners.</p>
<p>Something for you to ponder: <a href=“http://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-is-your-us-income-percentile.html”>http://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-is-your-us-income-percentile.html</a> </p>