The MS advantage
PhD roles report a median of $160K vs $183K for MS, a 12% gap the other way.
57 PhD · 48 MS salary-reporting roles Crosslinked
Market
Live signal from 2,025 active roles · 980 report salary
2,025Active listings
957Companies hiring
$112KMedian salary
8%Remote / hybrid
604New this week
Posting volume new jobs per week · last 12 weeks
A hands-on field
Only 8% of roles are remote or hybrid (59 remote, 102 hybrid). Bench and floor work keeps this field in person.
Across 2025 active listingsSponsors pay more
Employers with H-1B signals report a median of $141K vs $120K elsewhere, about a 18% premium, likely larger firms competing for talent.
404 roles at known/likely sponsorsThe agency discount
Staffing-agency listings report a median of $120K vs $130K for direct hires, a 8% gap for comparable work.
65 agency · 915 direct salary-reporting rolesEntry means entry
65% of entry-level roles ask for zero prior experience. Median entry pay: $88K. Unlike tech, "entry level" here is mostly honest.
337 entry-level listings