Do PhD students get paid: 4 Critical Factors

Last updated on September 3rd, 2025 at 01:59 am

As a prospective PhD student, it’s reasonable for you to question: Do PhD students get paid for the time and effort invested? While others wonder if it is difficult to get a fully funded PhD, and if all PhDs are fully funded.

An understanding of how PhD funding works is essential for planning your academic journey, as it is not only challenging but also a substantial financial commitment.

In this article, I have compiled four critical factors that influence the process of funding for PhD, with additional insights into stipends, salaries, and funding options across countries and disciplines.

4 Factors Influencing PhD Stipends/Salaries

The financial package offered to a PhD student is not a random number; it’s the result of a complex interplay of several key factors. Understanding these variables is crucial for you, as a prospective student, to accurately assess the amount you can make as a PhD student.

While a university’s offer letter will state a specific figure, that number is determined by the following influences:

1. Field of Study: The Great Disparity

This is often the single most significant factor. A clear funding hierarchy exists across academia, driven by the availability of external grants and the perceived economic impact of the research:

• STEM and Health Sciences: Fields like Engineering, Computer Science, and Biomedical Sciences typically receive the most robust funding. They attract substantial grants from government bodies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as from the private sector. This direct funding for research projects often translates into higher stipends for PhD students working on them.

• Business and Economics: PhDs in business schools (e.g., Finance, Marketing) and top Economics departments are often exceptionally well-funded. Their close ties to the corporate world and the direct commercial applicability of their research result in competitive stipends that can rival those in STEM.

• Social Sciences: This category is a middle ground. Funding is often grant-dependent and can vary widely. For instance, a quantitative psychology student working on an NIH-funded study may have a secure research assistantship. In contrast, a student in a more theoretical field might rely on a university-funded teaching assistantship.

2. Geographic Location: Average PhD Stipends by Country

The stipend figure is meaningless without considering the cost of living (CoL) of the surrounding area. A larger stipend in an expensive city may offer less disposable income than a smaller one in a rural town.

For example, in some countries, only about 25–50% of programs are fully funded, underscoring the critical disparities in financial support and the importance of thorough research into funding options.

• Country-Specific Norms: Funding models vary globally. PhD stipends in Europe and countries like Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands often classify PhD students as university employees, leading to structured salaries, benefits, and among the highest PhD stipends in the world. In contrast, stipends in the US, UK, and Canada can be significantly lower.
• Urban vs. Rural Divide: A $40,000 stipend might afford a comfortable lifestyle in a midwestern college town, but it would require multiple roommates and careful budgeting in cities like Boston, San Francisco, or New York. Prospective students should always use a Cost of Living Calculator to compare offers from different cities in the US.

The following table highlights the average annual stipends or salaries that PhD students receive in different countries:

3. Institution Type and Prestige: The Power of Resources

The wealth and research focus of an institution directly impact its ability to fund students.

• Public vs. Private Universities: Well-endowed private universities (e.g., Ivy League schools, Stanford, MIT) often have more discretionary funds to support students through generous fellowships. While top public universities also offer competitive packages, they can be more susceptible to fluctuations in state funding. You can often find lists of university endowments from sources like the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).
• Research Activity (R1 vs. R2): The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education categorizes universities by research activity. “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity” institutions are the top-tier research universities. They pull in the most grant money, which means they generally have more funded research assistantship positions available for PhD students.

4. Source of Funding: The Nature of Your “Job”

Your stipend isn’t just a scholarship; it’s almost always payment for work that supports the university’s mission. The type of work you do dictates the nature of your funding.

• Fellowships are the most coveted type of funding. Fellowships (e.g., the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program or internal university fellowships) are grants given directly to the student. They typically have no work requirements beyond making progress on your dissertation, freeing you to focus entirely on research.
• Research Assistantships (RA): Common in STEM fields, an RA stipend is typically paid from a professor’s research grant. Your work is your research for the project, which directly aligns with your dissertation goals.
• Teaching Assistantships (TA): Common in the humanities and social sciences, a TA stipend is payment for teaching undergraduate courses, leading discussion sections, or grading. While valuable experience, TA duties (typically 10-20 hours/week) consume time that could otherwise be spent on research.
• Training Grants: Some PhD students are funded by large, multi-person grants from institutions like the NIH (e.g., T32 grants). These grants fund a cohort of students in a specific interdisciplinary area, often providing a stable and comprehensive funding package.

Where to Find Reliable Funding Information

To identify the best funding opportunities, students can explore:

1. Government Portals: Sites like the UKRI in the UK or NSF in the US provide funding resources.
2. University Websites: Most institutions have detailed sections on scholarships and funding for PhD students.
3. Online Forums: Platforms like GradCafe or Reddit’s PhD communities can offer personal insights and leads.

FAQs

Conclusion: A Holistic View Of PhD Funding

In conclusion, a PhD stipend is far more than just a number on an offer letter. It is a reflection of a complex ecosystem influenced by your chosen discipline, the institution’s resources, geographic cost of living, and the nature of your assistantship.

You should therefore adopt a holistic approach when evaluating funding packages. The most attractive offer is not always the one with the highest dollar amount, but the one that provides a livable wage relative to its location and allows for a sustainable balance between research, teaching, and personal well-being.

By carefully considering these interconnected factors, you can make an informed decision that sets the stage for a financially stable and academically successful doctoral journey.