GoKawiilNature's 2026 survey: most scientists report pay stagnation or decline
Nature's 2026 job satisfaction survey, run with Thinks Insight & Strategy, gathered responses from 3,882 scientists across 133 countries and found widespread dissatisfaction with salaries. Respondents described pay that fails to keep pace with inflation or living costs, including a Nigerian academic who has had only one raise in over a decade and a US physicist earning less in real terms than her non-degree-holding father did two decades ago.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings suggest a growing gap between the qualifications scientists hold and the financial stability their jobs provide, which could affect recruitment and retention in research careers globally. Individual accounts of borrowing money, forgoing homeownership or delaying children point to broader economic pressures that may be shaping decisions about who stays in science and who leaves.
- Nature's 2026 survey drew 3,882 respondents from 133 countries, with 31% female and 19% from minority ethnic groups.
- Many respondents reported salaries that haven't kept pace with inflation or promotions, eroding purchasing power.
- Personal accounts from Nigeria and the US illustrate scientists struggling to afford basic living costs, childcare and homeownership.
Source: nature.com — Nordling, 2026-10-26
Published there as: “Are salaries getting worse? Many scientists think so”
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