I think your gut has it right. The grass is not always greener. You've been doing your PhD and know its pros/cons and you very much enjoy the aspects of continuing and becoming an expert in machine learning. There will be no shortage of demand for this. By asking the question, it seems that you are financially capable of passing the SWE offer and continuing your research. The missing out on income in a position easily filled my many others is FOMO, as mentioned in by others. Note that the F is fear, and you should decide by passion rather than avoidance. Fear is only good for planning and if financially viable to continue should already have been addressed. If you're comparing with others who are taking these well paying positions, look at it from the point of view from the future as you have outlined: what area would you like to be actively working in?
Ask HN: Would you give up 100% more salary as a junior SWE/MLE?
21–27 of 27 posts
Re: Ask HN: Would you give up 100% more salary as a junior SWE/MLE?
#22I considered going for a PhD and went into industry instead.
The salary has been awesome, I’ve learned more than I ever did at University, and I’ve largely been able to focus on the topics I’m interested in. And yet, my recommendation is that you probably should complete your PhD.
Ultimately, taking a job means selling your autonomy to somebody else. It’s very hard not to be ashamed of that when you really think about it.
Re: Ask HN: Would you give up 100% more salary as a junior SWE/MLE?
#23Finish the PhD. I didn’t think it mattered that much, but now I’m a few years down the line (UK), I’m glad I did it. In certain companies, having one really matters.
Re: Ask HN: Would you give up 100% more salary as a junior SWE/MLE?
#24I think your gut has it right. The grass is not always greener. You've been doing your PhD and know its pros/cons and you very much enjoy the aspects of continuing and becoming an expert in machine learning. There will be no shortage of demand for this. By asking the question, it seems that you are financially capable of passing the SWE offer and continuing your research. The missing out on income in a position easil…
> you should decide by passion rather than avoidance.
This feels like great advice. Thank you for taking the time.
Re: Ask HN: Would you give up 100% more salary as a junior SWE/MLE?
#25A PhD in deep learning could get you a job with comparable salary (or way more if you moved outside of Germany).
That said, there is always the risk that the space gets crowded, or research gets too expensive, or innovation slows down. I think this is particularly risky in vision-related AI.
I personally was going to go for a financial mathematics degree, cause that was interesting and lucrative in 2006. That field almost doesn't exist anymore...
Re: Ask HN: Would you give up 100% more salary as a junior SWE/MLE?
#26I would say it depends on how “good” (defined by academia) you are. If you think you’re a super star, then academia all the way. If you think you’re about average (especially at the phd stage), then industry may be more attractive.
Being a successful academic (eg consistent publications in top conferences or journals) brings a qualitatively better life style than SWE at a company.
You are globally recognised as an expert, can travel to meet like minded colleagues all over the world, and have full control of how you spend your time.
If however you’re struggling in academia, then it can be brutal because you spend more and more of your time trying to attract resources to continue your work.
Re: Ask HN: Would you give up 100% more salary as a junior SWE/MLE?
#27Tough decision. No one would blame you for quitting your phd to double your salary. Money isn't everything but that is a hell of a lot of money! Have you worked as a developer before? Because working as a phd student is way different from working in the software industry. You may hate it. And returning to finish a phd is probably very difficult.