Another (slightly separate) point that is worth considering is that pay is not everything. Obviously you want to be reimbursed fairly for the time and expertise you offer but there are other factors. Some companies offer various things such as shares in the company, a bonus scheme, pension schemes, discounts on memberships to gyms etc or even free cooked lunch (my old place offered this - I saved a small fortune in the long run!). As well as these monetary gains there is also a bonus in being in a job that you enjoy doing with people you like in a part of the country you like.

Cheers for the feedback - it has certainly given me some ammunition to negotiate with the organisation that sponsoring my research. One of the comments made by my organisation in favour of a grad scheme is the ability to gain a wider understanding of the business by doing different placements. I think the comment they made was that "if you want a senior leadership role, you'll have to do this". Although I can understand the benefits of gaining experience from across the business, it sounds pretty barmy about getting into a leadership role - after all, they hire new managers from external organisations without making them rotate between positions!

Another thought I've had recently was working abroad for a few years. Does anyone have any idea of other country's perception of EngD's?

This is a very interesting thread. I am thinking of doing an EngD next year (2012 start), as I am doing my MSc at the moment. My question is, is it still possible to go into academia after doing an EngD? Would I be considered for a postdoc?

Hello, this information is very helpful, I too am coming to the end of an engd but was wondering if anybody had any current information regarding average salaries 2014/2015? The above posts are from 2011 so I can only assume averages have increased....?

Where? and, who for? are the main questions.