Question:
Over the last couple of years I've spread around here information aboutalternative jobs/careers where the pay ain't too bad but you don't need aPhD or spend ten years in low paid "preparation" for a highly specializedoccupation that has low lateral transferabilty, as much or moreage-discrimination hazards as anything else, politics, and a short careerhalf-life.

Well, here are a couple more:

Item #1:Wall Street Journal, Thursday, May 10, 2001, front page.They can't find enough coal miners now. The article continues over on pageA8, where I quote: "[Mr. Damron, a mine operator, is]...offering to paytrained miners $45,000 to $70,000 a year" and I'm going to bet that youdon't even need a HS diploma to get into this. I will say, however, thatthis is not a job I'd recommend to anyone because the work environment isnot only at the bottom of my esthetics list, and its hazardous work, andyou can come down with one of the lung-dust diseases. Still, its anotherexample where there are high end salaries comparable to those average PhDsalaries thrown around here on the website.

Item #2:Wall Street Journal, page B1, Thursday, May 10, 2001.Aircraft Mechanics are in short supply. Here is a quote: "Under the newcontract, Northwest's top mechanics will get $37 an hour, or $77,000 ayear, at the end of the four year period, compared with the $26 an hour,or $54,000 a year under the old one." You have to have two years oftraining and pass a federal exam to get a license. Well, even $54K ain'ttoo bad for two years of preparation and a career that I don't seebecoming obsolete anytime soon. Plus, there are unions and you getsome real union protections in some of them.

Answer: Why should Ph.D. positions pay more? The salary is based on the market, not onthe diploma or level of education (although there is a correlation). When yougo on a Ph.D. usually it's not for money. In Belgium, if you want to get ahigh salary (above politicians, lawyer or doctors), you would choose to be aprostitute. You don't even need HS.