As a PhD student, you may begin your career in graduate school to land an academic job. After completing your PhD, you could start with postdoctoral research or teaching position, a fellowship, or an adjunct position. Ideally, you will land an academic post as an assistant, associate, or full professor.
More and more students are finding PhD careers outside of academia. You may find that you want to bring your expertise into the private industry. Even if you want a career in academia, most PhD students do not find a job in academia due to the oversaturation of the market. In some disciplines, only a quarter of PhD graduates find an academic job. You need to have a plan to find non academic jobs after PhD completion to make sure you land on your feet. These are some in-demand options for non academic careers for PhDs.
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Event Planner
Salary Range: The salary range for meeting, convention, and event planners is from $29,240 to more than $88,360, with a median of $51,560.
Job Growth: 18 percent (much faster than average)
While you may not necessarily need a PhD to land a job as an event or conference planner, getting a PhD does provide you with plenty of opportunities to add event planning skills to your resume. As a PhD student, you likely organize workshops, panels, graduate conferences, seminars, symposia, and maybe even association conferences. Parlay that experience into a career handling the logistics of events, responding to clients, and managing vendors.
Transferable Skills:
- Organizational skills
- Oral communication skills
- Budget design
- Multitasking skills
- Interpersonal skills
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Grant Writer
Salary Range: The salary range for writers and authors is from $35,880 to over $133,460, with a median of $67,120.
Job Growth: 9 percent (as fast as average) for general writers
A major part of academic research is winning grant money to fund projects. Use your proposal writing and funding research skills to craft grant proposals for governments, non-profits, start-ups, and other organizations. Grant writers are always in demand, especially as a non academic job for English PhDs. In this job, you can expect to find grants and collect data and research to write the proposals as your primary role. You may also liaise with the board, respond to follow-up questions, or track the impact of grants.
Transferable Skills:
- Written communication skills
- Data visualization skills
- Critical analysis skills
- The ability to multitask
- Organizational skills
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Biomedical Engineer
Salary Range: The salary range for a biomedical engineer is from around $56,590 to over $149,440, with a median of $92,620.
Job Growth: 6 percent (as fast as average)
Put your science-related PhD to use in a career as a biomedical engineer. You can apply your knowledge and skills to an array of specialties, including genetics, chemistry, physiology, biomaterials, and more. Use your technical skills to design, create, and contribute to real-world applications in the sciences. Develop products that people can use to make their lives better.
Transferable Skills:
- Software skills, such as statistical software, ADinstruments, and LabVIEW
- Expertise in medical engineering and computers
- Problem solving skills
- Math skills
- Design skills
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Financial Manager
Salary Range: The salary range for a financial manager is from under $70,830 to over $208,000, with a median of $134,180.
Job Growth: 17 percent (much faster than average)
Put your accounting or economics PhD to good use outside of academia with a position as a financial manager. In this position, you often work for private firms and help them to understand and develop a strategy for their financial portfolios. This can mean developing reports, drafting budgets, providing consultation on tax law, and creating strategies to increase profits.
Transferable Skills:
- Knowledge of accounting, banking products, and economic markets
- Problem solving skills
- Quantitative research skills
- Communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
Salary Range: The salary range for a data analyst is between $48,050 and over $144,330, with a median of $86,200.
Job Growth: 25 percent (much faster than average)
As a PhD student working on research, you have to learn about and apply statistics and modeling techniques. Working with large datasets and big data, as well as utilizing statistical analysis tools can set you up for a career as a data analyst. In this role, you can expect to clean, code, and analyze data, develop data visualizations, and prepare reports on your data analysis.
Transferable Skills:
- Problem solving skills
- Statistical analysis skills
- Knowledge of statistical tools, such as R, Stata, and Python
- Communication skills
- Data visualization skills
Salary Range: The salary range for a cybersecurity analyst is between under $60,060 to over $163,300, with a median of $103,590.
Job Growth: 33 percent (much faster than average)
If you have a PhD in computer science of criminology with an emphasis on cybercrimes, then you can apply your expert knowledge and critical analysis skills to a career as a cybersecurity analyst. Spend your day looking for bugs and weaknesses in computer applications and networks. Create policies for organizations to protect against cyberattacks, and work with cyber security engineers to implement major changes and fix emergencies.
Transferable Skills:
- Expertise in cybercrimes
- Computer skills
- Programming and coding skills
- Problem solving skills
- Communication skills
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Policy Analyst
Salary Range: The salary range for policy analysts is between $62,840 to $170,000, with a median of $125,350. This encompasses jobs under the title of political scientist.
Job Growth: 9 percent (as fast as average)
As a non academic job for political science PhDs, a career as a policy analyst lets you combine your research skills along with subject-matter expertise to work with a range of organizations from government to nonprofits and think tanks. In a typical day as a policy analyst, you could perform desk research, analyze data, write policy memos or policy briefs, make policy recommendations, and strategize about policy implementation.
Transferable Skills:
- Critical analysis skills
- Data analysis skills
- Understanding of public policy process
- Networking skills
- Evaluation skills
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Museum Archivist
Salary Range: The salary range for museum archivists, curators, and workers ranges from under $30,460 to over $91,800, with a median of $52,140.
Job Growth: 19 percent (much faster than average)
Try a non academic job for history PhDs as a museum archivist. As an archivist, you will work to properly store, identify, and understand collections. Utilize your knowledge of specific historical periods to properly identify, contextualize, and write information for visitors to see with the exhibits. Use your research skills to embark on historical research projects to learn more about collections. Many archivists also have managerial duties and engage with the public to disseminate research about museum collections.
Transferable Skills:
- Research skills
- Preservation knowledge
- Analytical skills
- Public speaking skills
- Supervisory skills
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Public Relations Specialist
Salary Range: The salary range for a public relations specialist is from $35,350 to over $118,210, with a median of $62,810.
Job Growth: 11 percent (faster than average)
Put your communications degree to good use in a non academic job for PhDs in humanities. As a public relations specialist, you can contribute to the overall media strategy of an organization by using your expert knowledge in media, current events, or even psychology. Specialists interact with media outlets, write press releases, and ensure that your messages are on track with the needs and brand of the organization.
Transferable Skills:
- Media editing and creation software knowledge
- Oral communication skills
- Expertise in media production and processes
- Interpersonal skills
- Coordination skills
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Journalist
Salary Range: The salary range for a journalist begins at about $25,510 up to $127,370, with a median of $49,300.
Job Growth: 6 percent (as fast as average)
As a journalist, you will put your research and analysis skills to use by finding leads and getting to the bottom of a story. Expect to interview different people to understand a story from different lenses, much like examining different theoretical streams of literature for your PhD. Collect data and analyze different outlooks. Write up news stories or write scripts for broadcast production. Use your dissertation editing skills to edit your articles.
Transferable Skills:
- Critical thinking skills
- Investigative skills
- Organizational skills
- Written communication skills
- Problem solving skills
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Software Developer
Salary Range: The salary range for a software developer is from around $65,210 up to over $170,100, with a median of $110,140.
Job Growth: 22 percent (much faster than average)
As a software developer, you can apply your knowledge of building applications or software programs to a PhD career outside of academia. This is a great option if your degree is in computer science or another field, such as business, that can utilize some of the same development tools. Create computer programs, test the functionality of existing software, collect, and analyze data, develop specifications and documentation.
Transferable Skills:
- Use applied math and statistics
- Teamwork skills
- Technical software skills
- Attention to detail
- Organizational skills
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Database Administrator
Salary Range: The salary range for a database administrator is from under $54,070 to over $155,660, with a median of $98,860.
Job Growth: 8 percent (as fast as average)
Apply your knowledge and skills from a computer science degree or any PhD field that requires you to use and manage databases in a career as a database administrator. Turn your experience in data management into your job. You can expect to spend your time finding errors in data, developing protocols for data management, ensuring the safety of the database, testing databases, and improving functionality to meet client needs.
Transferable Skills:
- Data management software, such as Oracle, Dynamo, and MongoDB
- Programming skills
- Knowledge of computers and data management best practices
- Math skills
- Organizational skills
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Atmospheric Scientist
Salary Range: The salary range for an atmospheric scientist goes from a low of about $52,350 to a high of about $153,150, with a median of $99,740 a year.
Job Growth:8 percent (as fast as average)
Pick a non academic job for PhDs in science that allows you to create models and disseminate information about the weather. Study different atmospheric components and the impacts they can have on people’s safety. Use your scientific knowledge and experience with scientific software to track the weather and create data visualizations with collected data. Design outreach plans to inform the general public about the weather and safety precautions.
Transferable Skills:
- Analytical skills
- Software development programs
- Critical analysis skills
- Knowledge of atmospheric or space science
- Presentation skills
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Aerospace Engineer
Salary Range: The salary range for an aerospace engineer is from under $72,770 to over $171,220, with a median of $118,610.
Job Growth: 8 percent (as fast as average)
Start an exciting career as an aerospace engineer with your PhD in a similar discipline. Use your expert knowledge and research skills to repair, test, and design aircraft and spacecraft. Collect data from simulations and analyze the data for improvement. Find problems with existing spacecraft and utilize creative methods of problem-solving. You could find employment in the private sector or for a government agency.
Transferable Skills:
- Programming skills
- Design software skills
- Critical analysis skills
- Quality controls systems skills
- Equipment use skills
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Statistician
Salary Range: The salary for a statistician runs from under $61,130 to over $170,150, with a median of $110,860.
Job Growth: 33 percent (much faster than average)
Translate your quantitative expertise to a career outside of academia as a statistician. Students with a PhD in math, statistics, economics, political science, or other math-heavy degrees could have the skills for this role. As a statistician, you will work to create and apply mathematical models to a range of data questions. You could work for government organizations, in the private sector for corporations, or as a statistician for a laboratory.
Transferable Skills:
- Applied mathematical skills
- Programming skills
- Statistical analysis software skills, such as R, SAS, or Python
- Critical analysis skills
- Problem solving skills
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Project Management Specialists
Salary Range: The median salary for a project management specialist is $77,420.
Job Growth: 5 to 10 percent
A major part of working on a dissertation is project management. Add in workshops and other events and you have work experience in project management. In this role, you will determine the needs of a project, create timelines, delegate work, handle problems and conflicts, and keep projects on schedule for completion.
Transferable Skills:
- Software skills
- Organizational skills
- Decision-making abilities
- Supervisory skills
- Interpersonal skills
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Translator
Salary Range: The salary range for a translator is from under $29,740 to above $96,480, with a median of $52,330.
Job Growth: 24 percent (much faster than average)
Engage your language skills from a PhD in a foreign language to start a career as a translator. You could work for a public or private organization, freelance remotely, or travel to exciting locations. Spend time translating important documents, translating conversations, and enabling people of different cultures to communicate with one another. Write publications to help people understand your translations and respond to urgent requests.
Transferable Skills:
- Foreign language skills
- Written and oral communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Active listening skills
- Reading comprehension skills
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Diversity and Inclusion Manager
Salary Range:
Job Growth:
Transferable Skills:
- Training software skills
- Presentation skills
- Knowledge of applicable regulations and best practices
- Interpersonal skills
- Problem solving skills
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Curriculum Designer
Salary Range: The salary range for a curriculum designer is from around a low of $39.270 to over $105,650, with a median of $66,970.
Job Growth: 10 percent (as fast as average)
The skills you gain from designing and teaching your own classes can go a long way into an education career, regardless of your subject expertise. As long as you have some scholarly knowledge of curriculum design, then you can start your career in it. Assess the needs of the curriculum, conduct teacher training in how to implement curriculum advances, and include updated regulations in teaching into the curriculum.
Transferable Skills:
- Organizational skills
- Teaching skills
- Critical analysis skills
- Multitasking skills
- Problem solving skills
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PhD Coach
Salary Range: There was no salary/revenue data for PhD coaches but academic coach salary is in the range of $45,000 and $57,000.
Job Growth: 11 percent (faster than average)
Many PhD students struggle to finish their degrees. As someone who made it across the finish line, you can take your expert knowledge in finishing a PhD to establish a coaching business. Teach other PhD students how to develop research, create systems for writing, and interact with their advisors. You can apply dissertation writing systems across disciplines, regardless of your actual field.
Transferable Skills:
- Interpersonal skills
- Counseling skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Evaluation skills
- Presentation skills
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the common high-paying jobs for PhDs?
Common high-paying jobs for PhDs involve jobs in data analytics, systems design, and engineering. Jobs in research for think tanks or biomedical firms also pay well.
Should you tell your advisor that you want a non-academic job after you finish your PhD?
Students often want to know if they should let PhD advisors know of impending plans outside of academia. Non academic jobs after PhDs finish can be controversial. If your advisor has a history of pushing out non-academic track students from your lab, it may be worth the wait. Many departments recognize the limited academic prospects and would encourage you to look at both academic and non-academic options.
Final Thoughts
Non-academic jobs after PhDs finish can provide job security and pay well. Deciding to take the non-academic track is a difficult decision for many PhD students. Assess what you enjoy about academia and try to find roles that allow you to engage those aspects. Connect with alumni and start thinking about transferable skills before you graduate in case you need to learn any specific technical skills. Once you settle into your new life outside of academia, you may even find it a more rewarding experience.
