2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report · PDF fileSPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics...

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2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report Sponsored by SPIE Career Center

Transcript of 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report · PDF fileSPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics...

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2013Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report

Sponsored by

SPIE Career Center

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II SPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report

Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report

The International Society for Optics and Photonics

SPIE International HeadquartersPO Box 10 · Bellingham WA 98227-0010 USATel: +1 360 676 3290 · Fax: +1 360 647 1445 · [email protected] · www.SPIE.org

SPIE Europe2 Alexandra Gate, Ffordd Pengam, Cardiff, CF24 2SA, UKTel: +44 29 2089 4747 · Fax: +44 29 2089 4750 · [email protected]

For comments, suggestions, or other feedback, contact:Adam Resnick · [email protected]

Sponsored by

SPIE Career Centerwww.SPIECareerCenter.org

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SPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 1

Key Findings • The median salary for survey respondents is $76,000.1 Salaries are widely distributed

around this midpoint, with differences primarily driven by country income level and employer type.

• The highest-paid discipline is aerospace, with a median income of $113,500.

• Survey respondents are highly satisfied with their jobs overall: 85% enjoy their work, while 90% respect the work of their peers.

• 39% of workers in higher-income Asian countries work 50 or more hours per week. 23% of Israeli and Romanian workers report working 55 or more hours per week, the largest percentages of any countries.

• 91% of workers in lower-income Asian countries expect a raise in 2014 versus 58% of lower-income Europeans.

• Median salaries are 36% higher overall for men than for women, with the largest gap occurring mid-career.

Survey Responses by Region

North America Europe AsiaLatin America and the Caribbean

MiddleEast

OceaniaAfrica

43.1%

3.1%

0.8%

32.1%

16.8%

1.6%

2.6%

n=6752

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BackgroundSPIE distributed the third annual Optics and Photonics Global Salary Survey in April 2013. It is the largest survey of its kind in the global optics and photonics community, providing data on the full breadth of employment and compensation patterns across regions, disciplines, and types of organizations.

SPIE sent survey invitations via email to its global database. Over 6,500 valid responses were gathered from 103 countries.2 92% of participants are located in North America, Europe, and Asia. Respondents from Latin America/Caribbean, the Middle East, Oceania, and Africa account for the balance of data.

For this year’s report, an examination of workload and future salary expectations has been added to the existing categories of geographic region, professional focus, gender, and employer type. Results for 2013 are generally consistent with previous years, with most regions and countries showing minimal change in median salaries. For complete survey methodology, please see page 15.

How Did You Find Your Current Position?

19%

17%

12%8%

7%

21%

3%

4%

4%

1%2%

2%

Networking or referral through personal contact

I was recruited

Online job advertisement

I contacted the employer directly (no job was advertised)

Printed job advertisement (newspaper or journal)

University career office

Professional association

Other

In-person job fair

Public/government placement agency

Alumni network

Private placement agency

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SPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 3

Country OverviewThe countries represented in the survey represent a broad range of incomes, work habits, and levels of job satisfaction. Workers in Switzerland, the United States, and Australia enjoy the highest median salaries.

Median Salary Work 55 or more hours per week

"I enjoy my work"

Switzerland (n=65) $127,073 9% 88%

United States (n=2722) $110,000 14% 84%

Australia (n=95) $107,158 9% 93%

Canada (n=189) $93,083 8% 85%

Israel (n=69) $84,358 23% 94%

Germany (n=384) $82,407 8% 85%

Japan (n=196) $81,865 22% 80%

Netherlands (n=107) $78,483 8% 93%

Sweden (n=48) $78,451 8% 85%

Chile (n=37) $77,316 3% 84%

Singapore (n=48) $74,766 13% 73%

South Korea (n=115) $71,359 11% 82%

Belgium (n=53) $68,018 11% 83%

United Kingdom (n=291)

$67,485 13% 84%

Brazil (n=62) $60,207 5% 82%

France (n=182) $54,938 9% 87%

Italy (n=261) $47,090 7% 89%

Spain (n=177) $47,090 6% 88%

Taiwan (n=94) $46,767 16% 74%

Mexico (n=65) $40,389 9% 91%

Portugal (n=34) $35,861 12% 94%

Turkey (n=44) $33,521 2% 91%

Czech Republic (n=28) $30,346 14% 93%

Malaysia (n=30) $27,796 7% 73%

Poland (n=55) $27,032 16% 93%

People's Republic of China (n=423)

$16,163 13% 71%

Russian Federation (n=146)

$15,934 13% 89%

Romania (n=40) $14,927 23% 90%

India (n=172) $12,973 16% 90%

Ukraine (n=34) $8,125 12% 82%

Table includes all countries with a sample size of 30 or more.

Median salary, high workload, and job satisfaction by country

Israelis and Portuguese are tied at the top of the job satisfaction scale though Israel’s median salary is more than double Portugal’s. Israel also tops the list for heavy workload, with 23% of respondents reporting they work 55 hours or more per week. Romania matches Israel at 23% while Japan is close behind at 22%. Swiss, Australians, and Canadians enjoy a combination of top pay and moderate workload—these countries fi ll three of the four top median salary positions with fewer than 10% of respondents working more than 55 hours per week.

In comparison to broader populations within surveyed countries, the optics and photonics community fares quite well. For instance, the median earnings of Australian survey participants is $107,158 versus the workforce average of $74,512. Polish survey participants earn roughly double the national workforce average, $27,032 versus $13,811.3

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Job Satisfaction A signifi cant majority of the optics and photonics community is highly satisfied with core aspects of its working life. 85% say they enjoy their work, 86% find their work meaningful, and 90% respect the work of their peers. Majorities are also satisfied with their pay, their supervisors, and the positive recognition they receive, with 80% agreeing with the statement “I love my work and I feel fortunate to get paid for doing it.”

Just over a third of respondents (37%) consider themselves overworked. Men and women show similar levels of satisfaction across all questions, including fairness of pay, despite a 36% gap in salary.

The single clearly negative finding in the survey relates to opportunity for advancement, with only 35% agreeing that there are “good opportunities for promotion” within their organizations.

Job Satisfaction

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I have good opportunities forpromotion within my organization

I work too many hours each week

I am paid fairly for the work I do

When I do good work, I receive properrecognition from supervisors and coworkers

My supervisor is highly competent

Health care and pension benefits are animportant part of my compensation

I have the autonomy and independenceI need to do my best work

I love my work and I feel fortunateto get paid for doing it

I enjoy my work

My work is meaningful

I respect the work of my peers

Strongly AgreeAgree

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SPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 5

Workload Most optics and photonics workers work between 40 and 50 hours per week (62%), while just over a quarter reporting that they work 50 hours or more (26%). Higher workloads align with higher salaries except for those working 60 hours or more per week.

Hours Worked per Week

0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

60 hours or more (n=481)

55-59 hours (n=362)

50-54 hours (n=946)

45-49 hours (n=1624)

40-44 hours (n=2561)

35-39 hours (n=609)

30-34 hours (n=120)

Median Salary by Hours Worked per Week

0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000

60 hours or more

55-59 hours

50-54 hours

45-49 hours

40-44 hours

35-39 hours

30-34 hours

$89,199

$97,825

$85,000

$83,956

$71,000

$55,675

$29,989

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Percentage of Respondents Working 50 Hours or More per Week

Respondents from higher-income Asian countries spend the most time in their offi ces and labs, with 39% working 50 hours or more per week and only 7% working less than 40 hours per week. North Americans are next, with 28% working 50 or more hours and 6% working less than 40 hours.

0

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Latin

Am

erica

and th

e Car

ibbean

(n=20

8)

Africa

(n=47

)

Europ

e, hig

her i

ncom

e (n=

2090

)

Ocean

ia (n=

106)

Europ

e, low

er in

com

e (n=

72)

Asia, lo

wer in

com

e (n=

624)

Middle

East (

n=17

2)

North

Am

erica

(n=29

03)

Asia, h

igher

inco

me (

n=48

1)

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SPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 7

Median Salary by Region

Percentage of Respondents Expecting a Raise in 2014

Region North America and Oceania4 stand out as the regions with the highest salaries, with median earnings well above other areas. North American median incomes are 81% greater than higher-income European and 62% greater than higher-income Asian countries. A large portion of regional income gaps is explained by the level of economic development of countries within each area.5 Workers in lower-income Asian countries are most optimistic about future increases in pay, with 91% expecting raises in 2014.

0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000

Europe, lower income (n=73)

Asia, lower income (n=650)

Africa (n=51)

Latin America and the Caribbean (n=209)

Middle East (n=176)

Europe, higher income (n=2093)

Asia, higher income (n=483)

Oceania (n=106)

North America (n=2911) $108,000

$104,037

$66,810

$59,816

$44,923

$48,556

$22,058

$16,163

$8,361

40% 60% 80% 100%

Europe, lower income

Europe, higher income

Asia, higher income

Africa

North America

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East

Oceania

Asia, lower income

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Employer Type Median salaries in academia are well below those in industry, government, and other sectors.6 This relationship holds across all geographic regions, with the largest gap in the Middle East, where academic salaries are 150% below those at non-academic organizations. Differences are smallest in higher-income Asian countries and Oceania.

Median Salary by Employer Type

0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000

University/college (n=2203)

Other research institute (n=130)

Government laboratory or research institute (n=1100)

Private laboratory or research institute (n=165)

Not-for-profit organization (n=152)

Civilian government (n=110)

Military/defense (n=233)

Company/corporation (n=2621)

Self-employed/consultant (n=37)

$52,147

$54,938

$58,862

$65,000

$86,985

$95,898

$97,000

$99,245

$120,000

Non-academic Academic Premium forNon-academic

Middle East $72,153 $28,914 150%

Africa $33,088 $15,761 110%

Latin America and the Caribbean

$60,713 $36,934 64%

Europe, lower income

$9,496 $6,769 40%

North America $113,789 $82,000 39%

Asia, lower income $17,017 $12,931 32%

Europe, higher income

$65,636 $52,629 25%

Asia, higher income $71,359 $60,621 18%

Oceania $116,521 $101,279 15%

Median salary and premium by region for academic and non-academic employers

Hours Worked per Week by Academic Versus

Non-academic Organizations

0 20% 40%

50 or more hours

Less than 40 hours

Non-academic

Academic

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SPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 9

Discipline Aerospace and semiconductor disciplines enjoy the highest median earnings, at $113,500 and $104,018, respectively. Civil/environmental falls at the opposite end of the spectrum, with a median salary of $44,510.

Median Salary by Primary Discipline

$0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000

Civil/environmental (n=73)

Physics (n=555)

Computer science/software/information technology (n=408)

Photonics (n=461)

Electrical/electronics (n=412)

Nanotechnology (n=205)

Remote sensing (n=308)

Lasers (n=352)

Mechanical (n=108)

Interdisciplinary engineering or research (n=221)

Astronomy/astrophysics (n=442)

Biomedical/medical/biology/biophysics/biotechnology (n=575)

Optical design (n=156)

Chemical (n=133)

Other (n=333)

Optical systems (n=558)

Materials (n=238)

Manufacturing (n=258)

Systems engineering or research (n=138)

Illumination (n=45)

Semiconductor (n=456)

Aerospace (n=316)

$44,510

$58,862

$58,862

$58,862

$58,8627

$60,000

$65,201

$70,660

$71,816

$71,942

$74,856

$75,867

$76,096

$76,687

$77,396

$83,462

$84,250

$85,011

$96,313

$96,795

$104,018

$113,500

The two most important factors driving salary gaps across disciplines are academic versus non-academic employment and country income level. The highest-paying disciplines are most prevalent in non-academic organizations, with the top three disciplines represented by 750 non-academic respondents versus 67 working at academic institutions.

Within non-academic organizations, the range of median salaries is $61,431–$115,783. For academic organizations, the range is $32,326–$78,241. The relationship between higher-pay and non-academic employment holds across all disciplines.

Country income level has a similar impact on median salaries of optics and photonics disciplines. In the highest paid category, aerospace, 291 out of 316 workers are located in higher-income countries.

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10 SPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report

Within higher-income countries, the range of median salaries across disciplines is $65,201–$118,458. Within lower-income countries, the range is $10,983–$44,923. The wage gap between higher- and lower-income countries is consistent across all disciplines.

Non-academic

Employers

Academic

Employers

Higher-income

Countries

Lower-income

Countries

Aerospace $115,783 $78,241 $118,458 $24,245

Systems engineering or research $108,000 $50,000 $107,689 $44,923

Semiconductor $107,847 $54,480 $108,000 $24,936

Materials $101,879 $49,000 $91,563 $17,390

Illumination $97,500 $54,938 $97,500 $30,710

Biomedical/medical/biology/

biophysics/biotechnology

$94,000 $55,982 $81,099 $16,163

Optical systems $90,000 $38,792 $93,250 $16,679

Chemical $87,975 $58,862 $80,000 $16,163

Manufacturing $87,000 $38,070 $90,000 $16,163

Computer science/software/

information technology

$84,851 $50,096 $81,099 $18,964

Mechanical $83,611 $62,470 $78,000 $16,163

Lasers $82,932 $37,961 $85,000 $14,161

Optical design $82,000 $40,932 $83,256 $19,396

Other $82,000 $66,372 $82,000 $18,588

Interdisciplinary engineering or

research

$81,288 $49,651 $78,000 $22,426

Electrical/electronics $81,140 $39,029 $80,000 $14,644

Astronomy/astrophysics $76,677 $71,657 $77,175 $19,396

Remote sensing $75,867 $49,080 $78,483 $12,931

Photonics $71,942 $46,767 $71,942 $14,596

Nanotechnology $68,483 $49,080 $67,350 $10,983

Physics $67,485 $55,000 $71,106 $13,813

Civil/environmental $61,431 $32,326 $65,201 $12,814

Median salary by discipline for academic/non-academic employers and country income level

Publishing vs. Product Development for Academics and Non-Academics

0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Non-Academic

Academic

Creating new products or improvingexisting products is important to me

Strongly AgreeAgree

0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Non-Academic

Academic

Publishing research is important to me

When it comes to career output, both academics and non-academics are highly interested in product development. Academic workers place much higher emphasis on publishing than their industry, government, and non-profi t counterparts.

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SPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 11

Gender Men earn 36% more than women, with respective median salaries of $79,755 and $58,431. Men also outnumber women in this survey, composing 83% of the sample. The largest wage differences are associated with Middle Eastern countries, employment at “other research institute,” and employment duration of 16–20 years.

Men Women Premiumfor Men

Middle East $50,141 $20,929 140%

Asia, higher income $66,899 $40,954 63%

Europe, higher income $64,973 $46,012 41%

North America $112,000 $85,000 32%

Latin America and the Caribbean $45,335 $36,751 23%

Europe, lower income $9,123 $7,500 22%

Africa $22,453 $19,853 13%

Asia, lower income $16,163 $14,337 13%

Oceania $106,117 $97,794 9%

Median salary by gender and region

Men Women Premiumfor Men

Other research institute $65,402 $36,542 79%

Company/corporation $102,000 $72,044 42%

Not-for-profi t organization $92,000 $67,485 36%

Government laboratory or research institute

$60,672 $52,322 16%

University/college $53,000 $46,012 15%

Private laboratory or research institute

$65,402 $60,000 9%

Military/defense $97,225 $94,656 3%

Civilian government $93,041 $104,000 -11%

Categories with sample sizes below 10 have been omitted.

Median salary by gender and employer type

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The wage difference between men and women peaks in mid-career, with a 43% advantage for men who have worked 16-20 years. Though clearly not the only factor infl uencing this difference, male survey respondents report working longer hours than women. The wage gaps outlined here are consistent with Nature’s finding that “Large salary disparities persist between male and female researchers.”8

Men Women Premiumfor Men

Less than 5 years $45,535 $42,000 8%

5-10 years $56,654 $52,322 8%

11-15 years $75,867 $65,000 17%

16-20 years $97,000 $67,742 43%

21-25 years $100,000 $76,379 31%

26-30 years $110,000 $91,563 20%

More than 30 years $120,000 $96,754 24%

Median salary by gender and years employed

Hours Worked per Week by Gender

0 20% 40%

50 or more hours

Less than 40 hours

Male

Female

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SPIE 2013 Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report 13

Median Salary by Job Level

Other Factors Other factors that influence salary include job level, job role, years employed, and size of organization. Top organizational leaders enjoy the highest salaries, while technicians, instructors, and librarians anchor the bottom of the range. Seniority also tracks well with salary levels, although the relationship between organization size and income is uneven. Median salaries are highest at the largest organizations, those with more than 5,000 employees.

0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000

Instructor or Adjunct Professor (n=98)

Technician/Operator/Lab Tech (n=258)

Postdoc (n=626)

Assistant or Associate Professor (n=889)

Other (n=259)

Academic Dean, Provost (n=25)

Staff (n=1123)

Full Professor (n=558)

Supervisor/Manager (n=738)

Lead/Senior Level (n=1619)

Director (n=371)

C-level (n=76)

Vice President (n=111)

$39,086

$40,536

$43,950

$48,926

$59,000

$62,786

$69,018

$86,592

$98,469

$100,000

$135,758

$157,500

$165,000

Median Salary by Job Role

0 $30,000 $60,000 $90,000 $120,000 $150,000

Librarian (n=19)

Writer/Editor (n=13)

Basic Research/Science (n=1026)

Administrative (n=93)

University/College Professor/Educator (n=1327)

Technical/Lab (n=208)

Other (n=121)

Applied Research (n=1174)

Purchasing (n=26)

Production/Manufacturing (n=117)

Sales (n=195)

Recruiting/HR/Training (n=15)

Engineering/Design (n=1225)

Application/Product Development (n=308)

Marketing (n=97)

Consultant (n=65)

Project/Program Management (n=340)

Doctor/Clinician (n=35)

Business Development (n=91)

Executive/Leadership (n=254)

$34,136

$39,241

$50,942

$57,809

$58,862

$61,199

$65,402

$70,634

$82,725

$84,356

$89,563

$91,563

$91,563

$95,258

$100,000

$100,000

$100,598

$110,114

$119,538

$150,000

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Median Salary by Years Employed

Median Salary by Size of Organization

0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000

More than 30 years (n=929)

26-30 years (n=695)

21-25 years (n=752)

16-20 years (n=811)

11-15 years (n=1046)

5-10 years (n=1344)

Less than 5 years (n=1131)

$116,416

$106,000

$98,000

$92,217

$72,926

$55,837

$45,000

0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000

More than 5000 employees (n=1951)

2501-5000 employees (n=890)

1001-2500 employees (n=918)

251-1000 employees (n=1214)

101-250 employees (n=598)

51-100 employees (n=383)

11-50 employees (n=577)

Less than 10 employees (n=220)

$95,000

$82,411

$65,402

$60,170

$60,421

$68,000

$75,000

$77,285

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Notes:

1. U.S. dollars are used throughout. Local currencies were converted using May 2013 market exchange rates. Salary figures include total yearly compensation, both base pay and bonuses.

2. United States (2722), People’s Republic of China (423), Germany (384), United Kingdom (291), Italy (261), Japan (196), Canada (189), France (182), Spain (177), India (172), Russian Federation (146), South Korea (115), Netherlands (107), Australia (95), Taiwan (94), Israel (69), Mexico (65), Switzerland (65), Brazil (62), Poland (55), Belgium (53), Singapore and Sweden (48), Turkey (44), Romania (40), Chile (37), Portugal and Ukraine (34), Malaysia (30), Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, and Ireland (28), Denmark (26), Norway (24), Colombia and Greece (21), Egypt (19), Argentina (16), Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa (16), Bulgaria (13) and Estonia (13), Pakistan (11), Slovakia, Slovenia, and Thailand (10), Algeria, Latvia, New Zealand, and Serbia (9), Armenia, Belarus, and Nigeria (8), Hungary (7), Indonesia and Iran (6), Vietnam (5), Croatia, Iraq, and United Arab Emirates (4), Georgia, Jordan, Kenya, and Qatar (3), Ecuador, Ethiopia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Palestine State, Philippines, Sudan, Tunisia, Venezuela, Yemen, and Zimbabwe (2), Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cameroon, Chad, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Libya, Luxembourg, Malta, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu (1).

3. Average country population data are annual wages per full-time and full-year equivalent employee in the total economy, 2011 USD exchange rates and constant prices, from http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DatasetCode=AV_AN_WAGE. Retrieved 24 July 2013.

4. Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu.

5. Europe and Asia are composed of countries spanning a wide range of income levels, even when subdivided into higher- and lower-income groups. For example, the European higher-income category includes Russia and Norway, at $12,700 and $98,860 per capita Gross National Income (GNI), respectively.

Higher- and lower-income subcategories are based on the World Bank’s threshold for high-income countries, $12,615 per capita GNI. This threshold is used throughout this report when referring to “higher-income” and “lower-income” countries. In 2011 and 2012 the Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report used a higher per capita GNI threshold based on different methodology, so year-over-year comparisons should be avoided for high/low income groups.

For data on per capita GNI, see http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD/countries. For World Bank country income categories, see http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifi cations

6. The category “non-academic employers” is composed of company/corporation, military/defense, not-for-profit organization, private laboratory or research institute, self-employed/consultant, government lab or research institute, and civilian government. “Academic employers” is composed of university/college and other research institute.

7. The four-way tie in median salary between Computer science/software/information technology, Electrical/electronics, Photonics, and Physics is not an error. To double-check the accuracy of these medians, each Primary Discipline subset of salary values was extracted, sorted, and manually checked to ensure that the values are correct. There are 47 respondents in the sample who reported a salary of €45,000, which has a US dollar equivalent of $58,862. The abundance of this data point, combined with its position in the middle of the overall distribution, helps to account for the coincidence.

8. Gene Russo, “Turbulent Times,” Nature, August 2012, pp. 685-688.

Methodology and Footnotes In April 2013, SPIE sent email survey invitations to its global customer database. Response was voluntary and open. An iPad raffle and early access to this report were offered as incentives to encourage participation. Surveys were completed online using Vovici’s enterprise survey tool. Results were filtered to yield 6,752 valid responses. Any response lacking salary data was removed, as were duplicates and responses from students, the part-time employed, and unemployed. Microsoft Excel and SPSS were utilized to create summary statistics and related disaggregations.

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