Has anyone here been working, or know or anyone working, with an M.A./M.S.?

[TheDude]

Tell me this isn't as useless a degree as I'd imagine.

Specifically, interested in Developmental, Child Development, Educational Psych.

Does anyone know the salary structure?

Convince me this isn't a University's cash cow breeding fair for Ph.D. hopefuls?

Thanks for any insight.

[cerebellumsdayoff]

Salary depends on what you do. What you do depends on where to look. An MA degree sets you apart from many other applicants for jobs out there. The thing is, you have to know where to look for jobs and how to market yourself well. If you have a degree in psychology, for example, you can highlight empirical research and quantitative skills, which is desirable by a lot of jobs.

There is no single definitive answer.

[HyacinthMacaw]

Master's degrees are sufficient to apply for posts at community colleges, though doctoral degrees render one more attractive in a competitive job market. This article might give you a better idea of what it's like to be a tenured professor at a community college: http://chronicle.com/article/Not-a-Bad-Gig/45224

Salary information is here: http://www.cupahr.org/surveys/files/salary0708/CCFSS08ExecSummary.pdf

I've heard that salaries at community colleges in wealthy suburbs (e.g., Nassau County near NYC) can meet or exceed those at some four-year public colleges.

Hope that helps!

[a.arcane]

I have an MA and have been working for three years at a research center at an R1 university. However, my background is in research psychology and the centers focus is in education. I was a valuable hire, because my skill set was slightly different (apparently MA students in education don't get much training in statistics or have a lot of experimental experience). So I saw the posting, made a cogent case for myself in the interview and voila! An education MA would be an asset here, perhaps developmental.

More generally, you could certainly gain employment as a research assistant/ mid-level associate in other non-academic government orgs, NGOs, and think-tanks. It's just a matter of finding the right fit. I wouldn't expect to start higher than the mid 40's.