[argonaut]

I've heard a few people in CS say they loved their postdocs. My outsider's impression is: there's generally no teaching responsibility, no pressure or anxiety over your thesis/graduation (the biggest stressor for a PhD), generally more flexibility in your research agenda (though it depends on the lab), less pressure to find funding, and there's no stigma to just leaving or moving around whenever you want (it is common to leave a postdoc after just a year). Although you're still paid poorly.

[a_bonobo]

>Although you're still paid poorly.

In the US, yes - in Australia postdocs get between 60k and 90k per year, with an additional 15-17% that goes into your Super (retirement account - Australia's equivalent of US' 401k). I'm a "new" post-doc in Perth with a salary of 86k p/y and my wife doesn't need to work.

But yes, so far I'm enjoying it greatly, after a few years of the constant Damocles' sword of my thesis deadline dangling over my head the freedom is great!

[Cyph0n]

Wow, that's pretty good! I'm an Australian citizen starting a PhD in the US this year, so I'll keep an eye on any postdoc openings Down Under when I'm nearing completion. But I'm kind of worried that there won't be many opportunities for the field I'm in (circuit design).

[a_bonobo]

Yes, that's my problem too - there are only very few groups that work in any given area, after this contract is over I may have to go overseas

[mfukar]

Teaching responsibility is mandatory in all CS PhD programs I'm aware of. The pressure is not as bad as other areas, but the deadlines can get very stressful, circumstantially I suppose. The flexibility doesn't really exist: when going for a PhD, you already have a subject picked up, or a project responsibility undertaken, and probably very few ways of going about it because of where the funding's coming from. It's true that the responsibility of getting funding is limited, although some advisors will delegate writing the proposals to postgrads and just review those, taking up the time which you'd spent on your research.

That said, all my friends loved their PhD's, and started hating their choice after they got it.

[azhenley]

He said postdoc.

[peter303]

Pay is between top grad student assistantship and assistant professor. That would be below industry pay in a hot field like CS.