The scientific community has been demanding for years that Spain be a more competitive country in terms of research, providing better salaries to people who decide to commit to research. In fact, salaries are usually twice as low compared to other countries, and an important point is that the standard of living in our country is no longer as cheap as before. With housing prices at historic highs, we are seeing how renting is just as expensive as in other places where salaries are much higher.
In this context, from the account ‘@itsjuliopazos’ they asked a Spanish neuroscientist who works in the United States what the remuneration is like in the American country and how she managed to get there. “I studied my degree in London and from there I looked for work. I ended up in New York,” he begins by explaining.
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At the time of the interview, carried out in 2025, he explained that he worked for a company “that is dedicated to finding therapies for Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis… using stem cells.” Once his position was explained, they asked him about the approximate salary that could be received in this position: “before the doctorate, more or less in New York, between 70,000 and 80,000 a year,” he specified. This gives a salary of between 5,833 and 6,666 euros per month, divided into 12 payments. Now, this figure grows significantly with the doctorate.
With a doctorate, you earn “much more than in Europe”
This neuroscientist explained that, after the doctorate, in the United States you earn “much more” than in Europe. Specifically, the salary would be between 100,000 and 120,000 dollars per month. This would give between 8,333 and 10,000 dollars per month, if divided again into 12 payments.
Going deeper into the cost of daily living, they asked the young woman what amount would be enough to be able to live well in New York: “There is no limit. Come on, the more you have the better, it is very expensive, but I believe that with 70,000 or 80,000 a year you live well, it allows you a good life, but it is a normal salary.” In addition, she added that she paid about $2,000 a month for rent.
The video generated more than 800 comments, with opinions of all kinds. On the one hand, some users made the comparison with Spain, considering that salaries in our country left a lot to be desired considering how much the cost of living has risen: “Here in Spain after the doctorate, if you’re lucky, if you get a place, it’s 1,400 a month”, “That’s nice. 2,000 a month in rent but earning 8,000. Here they put 900-1300 in rent by earning the SMI”, or “earn 6,700 and spend 2,000 on rent, in Spain a scientist earns 2,000 and pays 1,200 in rent but we still think that in Spain people live very well”, are some of the comments that support this position.
On the other hand, some users considered that, based on their work and position, the remuneration they receive is still low: “To give you an idea, a waiter earns 50,000 a year in New York, so it is not much, how unfair” or “I work in the transportation branch, as a truck driver in the area of cruise ships and oil terminals, and I earn 130 to 145,000 a year”, supported this other position.