Having some issues deciding on whether or not to pursue a PhD.

[nomadscientist]

I'd be able to work on the PhD during work hours when it's slow (which is common). It also gives 38 days PTO a year and upped to 43 days after a PhD.

Would you otherwise be expected to work on the PhD outside of work hours? Be careful, this could turn into an 80hr/week job, "voluntary" or not.

[elkend]

Probably depends on the week. I know during the first years of my MS my advisor was unreasonable and I worked 80h consistently, but sketched advisors then it stayed around 20-30h between research, writing, class, and stipend work.

[nomadscientist]

Sure, but you are still going to want to finish your thesis, or else why take the job? Honestly it seems like he is offering to sell you the title of "PhD" for $100k/year. You could endow your own chair for this kind of money, over a comparable period to becoming a professor by employment, and with a much higher chance of success.

[elkend]

Sure, but you are still going to want to finish your thesis, or else why take the job? Honestly it seems like he is offering to sell you the title of "PhD" for $100k/year. You could endow your own chair for this kind of money, over a comparable period to becoming a professor by employment, and with a much higher chance of success.

Yeah, I somewhat get the impression I’ll have an easy time with the PhD, having seen other part time PhD students (who chose to take jobs in the department paying 40k and 100k while working on their PhDs while they could have potentially been making about what I do). He upped the offer to 130k and there are 10 more vacation days there than here. Including conferences Basically I’d trading 15k post-tax (possibly a bit more in future years) for 15 days extra off a year. I’d have no issue doing the project, doing the writing, cranking out some less-than-stellar papers and it would be slightly less of a headache than my current job. Seems less likely to get burned out with 33 vacation + 11 holiday + 5 education versus my current of 25ish vacation/sick + 8 PTO.There I’d be more flexible using it than here (but not a real issue other than no extended trips here).

I guess this comes down to more vacation during working years. Both seem pretty equal to me. The real thing I need to learn is to not put so much weight on small things like this and move onto something that’s actually life-enhancing.