[garion888]

I don't know how it is in chemistry. But in physics, starting PhD's at a national lab(Berkeley, Livermore, Los Alamos, Brookhaven, Oak Ridge...etc.) run about 100K a piece. Without a PhD you can't get hired, but in other work(programming physics related apps, like game engines) you start somewhere around 40-50K. Other than that you can teach high school. We know how that goes...