Whenever you look at the average salary for individuals with masters degrees as opposed to those with bachelors degrees you will notice that there is a big difference. While the separation between a bachelors and a masters may only be two years of schooling in most cases, the payoff is a lot more and lasts throughout your career. Take a look at the average salary with a masters in computer science degree and how this compares to the average salary with only a bachelors degree.
The Salary Discrepancy
If you have a bachelors in computer science then your average salary is likely to be around $45,000 a year but if you have your masters in computer science then that number becomes $60,000 a year. Again, a masters can usually be acquired in as little as two years and for some degrees an even shorter period of study is possible. Of course, you will need to already possess a bachelors to move on to masters level education but as long as you are seeking education in a field, why not continue on for a little longer to make your final degree as lucrative as possible?
Why Is There Such A Big Difference?
Employers do not have many ways to tell how much knowledge you have of computer science and taking the time to quiz you is not the best way for them to find out. Instead, they look primarily at your level of education and experience. This can be a catch-22 because without adequate education you will not have the experience in high level jobs that will allow you to advance to even higher level jobs. It is the same conundrum that anyone faces entering the workplace if they need a job to get experience but they cannot get a job without already having experience.
Employers use your education level to see how much you know. They do not have to worry about your knowledge being restricted to certain areas of the computer science field with a degree because accredited programs cover all the necessary information. Not only do you know more but your masters degree helps you to prove it.
A masters in computer science will earn you an average of $15,000 a year more than a bachelors in the same field. And this holds true year after year. Sometimes you want to not only look at how much you will make with a masters but how much more you will make with this advanced degree.
