thapap, the 90's non CS major hehe. As always what do you know? hello hi chhodiye "jai maataaki" boliye hahahhahahaha........ burp....excuse me...that one was nasty ok let me get serious now. hehe ============= excellent question. here's my say on this: Phd or Job? ---its a personal choice my friend. US is a free country so an individual can do what he feels like doing provided if it does not harm other individuals or groups. so if others, be it educated or not, give importance to 60k/annum and you want to get a Phd, i say give a damn to their say and GO FOR YOUR OWN interest. i m telling you because i assume that you are a EE major and i know about it a bit. WHY? 1) US job market is changing. it is not what it used to be say 10 yrs back. hi-tech companies with the likes of Intel, Microsoft, AMD, NASA always look for specialists these days coz they can afford so they want Phds. 2) Phd is a sureshot stamp which is a licence that you can exploit for taking a leadership role in industries right away, you can lead the research direction of the industries. You can ask and set your salary by yourself. Dont worry about 60k/annum that you are being offered at the moment. 3) Masters in engineering with few years of experience can also lead you there to that position but it is not that easy. -REASONS a) THere are too many people with masters degree these days, so it may take a while before you get noticed. b) you have to stick to a boring 8am-5pm jobs, which may excite you in the beginning, but then it will become monotonous after few months. you will be machinated. c) Phd students are exposed to research right away so they have new findings and exciting stuffs to deal with everyday, which keep them on their toes, but will give you immense pleasure if you enjoy researching. GO FOR IT. this is my personal suggestion to you. it might not apply to all. A friend, Loote