Whether to go on to a doctorate after a master's: do it only if the job you want states that it requires a doctorate, and count the mental load before you start

In the same UK study, after differences in family background and bachelor's results were taken out, at 35 a doctorate earned women about 8% more than a bachelor's alone, and men about 9% less. The mental load of a doctorate is also heavy. About one in four doctoral students across countries has clear depressive symptoms, and about one in six has clear anxiety symptoms. So first see whether the job you want will not hire without a doctorate, then decide whether to do one.

Cost

No money. Look through the education requirements in the job notices of the place you want to work, then talk once with two or three people who are doing a doctorate.

Benefit

The 2020 UK Department for Education study cited in item 24 of this section (doing a master's) also calculated the doctorate. The original wording is "8% (women) and -9% (men) for PhDs": after taking out differences in family background and in bachelor's results, at 35 a doctorate earned women about 8% more than a bachelor's alone, and men about 9% less. The study also found that a doctorate lowered the chance of unemployment and the chance of annual income below 30000 pounds (3万), and also lowered the chance of annual income above 40000 pounds (4万). Subjects differ a lot. The return to a doctorate in mathematics was especially low. A doctorate in psychology was among the highest. The mental load during the doctorate is in a 2021 pooled analysis. Across 16 studies and 23469 doctoral students, those with clear depressive symptoms came to about 24% in total (95% CI 18%–31%, the credible range). Across 9 studies and 15626 doctoral students, those with clear anxiety symptoms were about 17% (12%–23%). The studies differed a great deal from each other (I² about 98%). The cost in China follows the 2013 opinion: tuition for a full-time academic doctorate is in principle not more than 10000 yuan a year (1万), and the state postgraduate grant is not less than 10000 yuan a year (1万)

Notes

Contested. The depression and anxiety figures only pool the proportions from surveys in various countries. They are not compared with people of the same age, and the scales used are not the same. So they show that these symptoms are common among doctoral students. They do not show that doing the doctorate caused them. A pooling of Chinese-language studies found little difference in psychological symptoms between doctoral students and master's students, but both were higher than the national norm and the youth norm. The limits of the income figures are the same as in item 24 of this section (doing a master's). They can only be read as a direction. Job notices for university teaching posts, research institutes, and some research-and-development posts often state that a doctorate is required. If you want that path, first go through the notices of the last few years at the place you want. If low mood during the course lasts more than two weeks, first do the things in Section 3, item 18 (what to do first when mood is low). If there are thoughts of suicide, call 12356. See Section 1, item 25 (call 12356 when depressed or having thoughts of suicide).

Sources · 4

1. Britton J, Buscha F, Dickson M, van der Erve L, Vignoles A, Walker I, Waltmann B, Zhu Y (2020). The earnings returns to postgraduate degrees in the UK. Department for Education. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f609e…
2. Satinsky EN, Kimura T, Kiang MV, et al. (2021). Systematic review and meta-analysis of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among Ph.D. students. Scientific Reports, 11, 14370. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93687-7
3. Liu H, Gao Y, Tuerxun N, Cabirou L (2026). More than Depression: Doctoral Students' Mental Health in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Behavioral Sciences, 16, 1355. doi.org/10.3390/bs16081355
4. 财政部、国家发展改革委、教育部 (2013). 关于完善研究生教育投入机制的意见（财教〔2013〕19号）. gov.cn/gongbao/content/2013/content_2404719.htm