As someone in the process of choosing between phd in pure maths and academia or a career in finance / consulting the pay gap is so real…
Go into the private sector and make the bank while you can then go into consulting. Save academia for later in your career when you’re getting burned out.
Just IMO, YMMV.
It’s so hard to figure out this stuff … but as a guy into computers who was debating going into academia instead of the field, this is what I did …
I took the money, but lived like I had only the academic salary and invested the rest. 15 years in, life is pretty cushy, I’ve found a relaxing niche in my field that I like my job, but it’s basically optional as long as I stay willing to live like an academic. But there were definitely some pains to get here. I might quit and go back, I might quit and travel, or quit and do a start up, but I like my job a lot now so I’m keeping at it.
