Do we get money while doing PhD in USA?
Instead, PhD students in the US are usually guaranteed a tuition waiver (!) plus a 'basic stipend' for the full (expected) duration of their studies. A stipend is essentially a basic (taxable) payment that is given to a student twice a year (once every semester).
The Average PhD Stipend
The average annual stipend in the United States ranges between about $23,000 and $33,000 per year. You're not going to get rich as a PhD student on one of these stipends, but you can survive.
While PhD students generally don't earn a traditional salary, there are a number of ways they may be able to financially sustain themselves while earning their degree, like pursuing paid fellowships, paid research opportunities, or part-time or freelance employment.
How much does a PhD Student make? The national average salary for a PhD Student is $34,034 in United States. Filter by location to see PhD Student salaries in your area. Salary estimates are based on 7,951 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by PhD Student employees.
You can expect an average PhD stipend in USA between $15,000-30,000 per year. PhD stipend in USA for international students vary depending on the institution, your field of specialization and location. There is no minimum fixed stipend in PhD in USA like in some European countries.
- Being your own boss. Nothing says independent study like a PhD, particularly in the arts and humanities. ...
- Indulging your interests. ...
- CV-boosting experiences. ...
- Guaranteed income for three years. ...
- Getting to call yourself doctor. ...
- Making a contribution to your field. ...
- Travel opportunities.
Top PhD programs include physical therapy, education, administration, chemistry, and more. Political science, for example, allows you to work in one of the highest paying PhD jobs, which makes this one of the best options. PhDs involving technology are also popular.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $398,000 and as low as $40,500, the majority of Doctorate salaries currently range between $80,500 (25th percentile) to $171,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $322,500 annually across the United States.
On-campus jobs
Most universities offer part-time jobs on campus which might have the benefit of some tuition remission that, in turn, increases your overall income. For graduate students, there are often research or teaching assistantship options that fit in with your degree really well.
- PhD Stipend. ...
- Industry internship. ...
- Teaching at your university. ...
- Teaching privately. ...
- Competitions & Prize money. ...
- Part-time work. ...
- Content creation work & personal branding. ...
- Consulting, sell your knowledge to companies who need it.
How do you get paid with a PhD?
- Bartending/Wait Staff. You can make a good hourly wage bartending and serving, especially if you're a people person. ...
- Tutoring. ...
- Freelance Writing. ...
- Freelance Textbook Editing. ...
- Teach a Class at a Local Library or Community College.
As a PhD student in a good program, you'll probably get a stipend which is (more or less) enough money to live on. And you should be able to make good money on summer jobs or internships, making use of your technical skills. The companies want to make you happy so that you'll consider joining them when you graduate.

For one thing, the average employment rate for graduates with a doctoral degree is a whopping 97%. But, it's not just getting the PhD qualification that puts you above the rest, it's the years of experience and the skill set that you develop.
The average debt among PhD holders is $132,268. 14.4% of the average graduate student debt is from the borrower's undergraduate study. The average graduate student debt is 145.6% higher than the average debt balance among all student borrowers.
It is difficult to comfortably live alone on a stipend. Therefore, finding one or two roommates to help split housing and utility costs can be extremely helpful. Also, graduate students currently in the program can help you find roommates and explain options for affordable housing near campus.