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Where are they Now? Tracking the Ph.D. Class of 1997

Author

Listed:
  • Wendy A. Stock

    (Department of Economics and Agricultural Economics, Montana State University)

  • John J. Siegfried

    (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University and AEA)

Abstract

We report early career outcomes of economics Ph.D.s by tracking the U.S. class of 1996-97. We examine employment outcomes, work activities, salaries, and graduates' attitudes toward their jobs. By 2003, all of the respondents were employed, although almost half changed employers during the six years. Salaries of the cohort increased at an average annual rate of 8.2 percent from 1997 through 2003. Academic-year salaries rose about 5.7 percent per year, while private sector salaries skyrocketed at 15 percent per year. Finally, the median salaries of first-year full-time permanent 9-10 month academic economists hired in 2002-03 actually exceed the 2003 salaries of their counterparts initially hired in 1997-98. Some of this apparent salary inversion reflects a different mix of employers and departments between the two cohorts, with the younger group securing relatively more jobs at higher paying institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Wendy A. Stock & John J. Siegfried, 2006. "Where are they Now? Tracking the Ph.D. Class of 1997," Vanderbilt University Department of Economics Working Papers 0605, Vanderbilt University Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:van:wpaper:0605
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. John J. Siegfried & Wendy A. Stock, 2007. "The Undergraduate Origins of PhD Economists," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(4), pages 461-482, September.
    2. Jörg Heining & Jürgen Jerger & Jörg Lingens, 2008. "Deutsche Hochschulkarrieren im Fach Volkswirtschaftslehre. Eine deskriptive Analyse von Lebenslaufdaten," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 9(3), pages 306-328, August.
    3. John P. Conley & Mario J. Crucini & Robert A. Driskill & Ali Sina Onder, 2011. "Incentives and the Effects of Publication Lags on Life Cycle Research Productivity in Economics," Vanderbilt University Department of Economics Working Papers 1122, Vanderbilt University Department of Economics.
    4. Christiana Hilmer & Michael Hilmer, 2010. "Do Public Ph.D.-Granting Economics Departments Invert Salaries?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 30(2), pages 924-932.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economists; employment; salaries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations
    • J40 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - General
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General

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