To develop a new generation of Indian scientists, the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) was founded. Although under the auspices of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), NISER is a Bhubaneswar-based institution that offers students enrolled in its esteemed Integrated MSc and MSc programs demanding academic and research training.
However, what happens to students after they graduate from NISER is a question that is equally important.
Thankfully, NISER provides access to a wealth of exciting prospects in India and overseas.
Hence, the purpose of this blog is to examine the various career and financial paths that NISER graduates pursue, including research, academia, industry, management, and government service.
Stay tuned.
1. The Path to a PhD
Therefore, many students who have a solid research background are offered fully funded PhD programs by prestigious universities worldwide.
Leading Universities That Take NISER Graduates
Even students from NISER Berhampur and smaller IISERs have gained admission to esteemed universities such as
- MIT
- Stanford
- Harvard
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- Institutes of Max Planck
Hence, these esteemed universities may extend fully funded offers to MSc candidates with a strong research profile and publication record.
Comparing Stipends in India and Abroad
- India:
In India, during the PhD, JRF students get around ₹37,000 per month, while the SRF students get a stipend of ₹42,000.
- USA:
In the USA, the salary for a PhD student lies between $15,000 and $30,000 annually. Hence, the most appreciated thing is that even after surplus expenditure, students can save in the range from ₹50,000 to ₹150,000 lakh per month.
- UK:
In the UK, the stipend is around £18,662 per year (approximately ₹19.36 LPA or ₹1.61 lakh per month).
EU (Denmark, for example): It ranges around €49,800 annually (about ₹51.67 LPA).
- Switzerland (ETH Zurich):
Starting salary for a PhD: ₹4 lakh per month, with yearly raises
Even though stipends in India are rising, they are still less than those provided abroad.
2. After Successful Completion of a PhD and Starting Postdoc Work
Commonly, after submitting a PhD thesis, students prefer to join either academic positions or may further continue their studies via continuing post-doctoral research.
Academic Positions
- The institutes like IITs, IISc, and other universities now employ a large number of NISER and IISER graduates as faculty.
- In India, a postdoctoral salary can range from ₹57,000 to ₹74,000 per month.
Job Market Advantage
- There is a good opportunity for getting employed after a PhD, especially in a specialized research position or maybe academically. It also creates career opportunities in the R&D sectors in the research department with huge grants and partnerships.
3. Joining Industry after a PhD
They are highly demanded by people who don’t want to further continue in the academic curriculum.
Pay for Research Scientists
- The new PhDs in India get an average of ₹11-12 LPA.
- Scientists abroad make ₹98.5 LPA in the United States and Canada.
Industry Job Roles
- Role of Work: India (LPA), International (LPA)
| Job Role | India (lakhs/year) | Abroad (dollars/year) |
| Data analyst | 5 | 80k |
| Bioinformatician | 4.5 | 30k – 87k |
| Lab chemist | 2.5 | 71k – 75k |
| Lab technician | 2.5 | 64k – 78k |
| Clinical trials coordinator | 5.4 | 43k – 100k |
| Life sciences consultant | 5.7 | 99k |
Therefore, these positions include scientific consulting, biotech, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and AI-driven drug discovery.
4. MBA: The Transfer from Science to Management
Numerous NISER graduates go on to earn MBAs and excel at prestigious B-schools such as
- Ahmedabad’s IIM
- Bangalore’s IIM
- Calcutta’s IIM
- SIBM, NMIMS, and XLRI
What Makes Science Students Unique?
- Compared to engineers, science students frequently have slightly lower CAT percentiles upon admission.
- One notable example is that IISER Pune produced the CAT winner in a recent year!
MBA Pay:
- Packages for post-MBA: ₹20–35 LPA.
- Positions in MNC strategy, product management, and consulting.
Hence, students who wish to combine their analytical abilities with leadership positions in the corporate sector will find this path ideal.
5. Government Employment: Safe and Esteemed
Top Government Employment Possibilities
- BARC (Scientific Officer): ₹95,000–1 lakh per month plus benefits
- DRDO: ₹1 lakh per month (HRA included)
- ISRO: In the beginning, between ₹85,000 and ₹1 lakh per month.
Therefore, long-term stability, research opportunities, and government benefits like housing and long-term care are all provided by these jobs.
6. Instruction: Government Colleges & Coaching Institutes
Many public universities and private coaching centers accept NISER graduates if you have a gift for teaching.
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Private Schools
Depending on your popularity, subject, and performance, you can earn between ₹40,000 and ₹1 lakh per month from institutions like SciAstra, FIITJEE, Allen, and Aakash.
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Teaching Government
You can teach in public colleges and universities if you have credentials like CSIR-NET.
7. Joining private companies, NGOs, and Entrepreneurs
Research is not the only field in which NISER graduates can find employment:
- New Businesses
- NGOs
- Outreach to corporations
- Marketing and sales
- Consulting
Range of Salary
- The salary ranges between ₹4–12 LPA based on the category of position and type of work.
- Hence, getting an MBA in the future can greatly improve your role and pay.
Particularly sought-after positions are in management, data analytics, science communication, and ed-tech.
Concluding Remarks
Your NISER degree serves as a springboard for your career goals, whether they are to become a government scientist at ISRO, a PhD at MIT, or a consulting position following an IIM MBA.
Important Takeaways:
- The most popular route, with high stipends overseas, is a PhD.
- Both industry and academia offer lucrative post-PhD opportunities.
- An MBA provides access to prestigious business schools and corporate positions.
- Emotionally and financially, teaching can be fulfilling.
- NGOs and startups provide dynamic roles that have a genuine impact.
All about “Sciastra”
SciAstra (Play Store) is a platform that has happened to be known to grow scientific vigor. Hence, teaching and guiding students in excelling in exams like the IISER Aptitude Test and NEST has become a mission to them.
Therefore, SciAstra has one and only dream: to excel India in the field of education and research. With a community of more than 250,000 students and 2,000 top-ranked selections, let’s join this journey to make your dreams come true.
