PHD or masters degree in physics of chemisty?

Well PhDs and masters degrees aren't really jobs (although they are a lot more like jobs than undergrad degrees) so don't have a job title, you are a student. A PhD should in theory give you the opportunity to earn more money than a masters because it is a much higher qualification. PhDs are hard, really hard, you're taking part in research that has never been done so you need to know a hell of a lot about your area. You need to do what interests you and what you enjoy to be successful.

At the moment all job markets are looking pretty grim, speaking as someone who is keeping one eye on chemistry jobs for when I get my masters in a few years, but hopefully they will pick up in a few years. I think there are generally more jobs in industry for chemists than for physicists and a similar number of jobs in academia for each, then again there are probably more chemists out there than physicists.

Basically I'm trying to tell you there is no such thing as a guaranteed job no matter what qualification you have companies want experience and expect that you will have all the skills they need and if they hire you and find you don't have them then they'll fire you again. So how can I tell you what the salary is for someone with a PhD? It depends what job they go on to do!

Generally speaking though oil companies and pharmaceutical companies employ a lot of chemists and pay them well, there is less out there for physicists. I'm going to stress again that these jobs are never guaranteed and to keep them you have to be good at them and a little dependant on the economy.

The other thing is that I'm guessing at most you have a bachelors degree so it will be at least 4 years from now before you will get a PhD, everything will have changed by them.

EDIT: Actually I'm guessing you don't have a degree at all. OK my advice to you is to do a degree in the field that you are most interested in. Science can lead to well paid jobs but it's tough, if you don't enjoy it and are just aiming for money you won't make it.

There is no job title. Having a Phd or Masters in Physics just shows Employers that you have a logical brain. You will still have to train in something unless you go into research which is poorly paid. My son has a Masters in Nuclear Physics and a Phd in polymer physics and is now working in IT.

If you are that clever to do the above you would not be asking such a daft question.

Chemestry, you can work for companies such as Eli Lilly out of Indianapolis. (they make pharmasuetical products). Other companies like this exists, but chemistry majors can go on to medicine, pharmacy, and forensic Science. The job market is much wider.

There are many companies (like any connected to NASA like Aerojet, or JPL) that will not hire researchers unless they have a PH.D. These are the best paying jobs as well. So, yes, it benefits you to get a PH.D. in sciences.

Phd in organic chemistry will get you the most money. You can work as .Univ. professor, or pharmaceutical industries etc They pay big money. Go for it and good luck!

i know someone who got a PHD in inoriganic chemisty from Oxford - they couldn't get a job and ended up in accountancy