# Salaries For The Characters On "The Big Bang Theory" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587 "2010-02-03T21:56:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/61 "2015-06-07T20:15:45Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > IIRC, he says his mother had him tested to see if he were _crazy_. That doesn’t rule out all mental conditions. 🙂 She never followed up with that specialist in Houston like she was supposed to either. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/62 "2015-06-07T20:44:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > That’s probably not realistic. Physicists might not be as well-paid as engineers, but a physicist should certainly be able to support a family without need for moonlighting. If it’s a Law&Order episode he lives in NYC. If he lived in Manhattan he may have needed to supplement his income. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/63 "2015-06-08T00:57:03Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Ranger Jeff writes: > > \> What is out of state tuition for a BS and MS at MIT? > > “Out of state tuition” makes no sense at MIT since it’s a private school, not a state one. Okay. So what does it cost for tuition, room, board, books, and fees for a bachelor’s and master’s in engineering from MIT? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/64 "2015-06-08T01:03:01Z")
About $60,000 per year, at least for the undergraduate degree. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/65 "2015-06-08T05:49:49Z")
At the moment, tuition is $45,016 per year, room and board is $13,224 per year, books and supplies are $1000 per year, and other expenses are $1790 per year for a total of $61,030: > **[Massachusetts Institute of Technology Tuition | CollegeData](https://www.collegedata.com/college-search/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/money-matters)** > > Quickly find details on the $79,850 annual cost of Massachusetts Institute of Technology tuition to help you weed out potential colleges that best fit your budget and needs! As at most top colleges, there is financial aid which supposedly meets those expenses for everyone who gets into MIT. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/66 "2015-06-08T16:17:13Z")
> [@cardman400](#): > > although the show has never clearly stated any job titles. Actually in _‘The Einstein Approximation’_, Sheldon gives his job title as: **Senior theoretical particle physicist at Caltech, focusing on M theory, or, in layman’s terms, string theory.** ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/67 "2015-06-08T16:28:02Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Okay. So what does it cost for tuition, room, board, books, and fees for a bachelor’s and master’s in engineering from MIT? Have they ever said that Howard did his undergrad work at MIT? IIRC, he’s only stated that he has a Master’s from there. So he very well could have done his undergrad work at some California school, where it would be much cheaper to attend. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/68 "2015-06-08T17:27:46Z")
JPL could easily have an extension office at Caltech - especially if they are going joint projects. Howard isn’t just a run of the mill engineer - he is an engineer of enough skill that he has a major role in designing spaceflight components, and is a NASA mission specialist. An engineer mission specialist earns between $75,000 and $130,000. A senior engineer working on space program hardware at Caltech would make at least that. I always thought it was crazy that Bernadette would make so much more than Howard. What is she, a Ph.D chemist for a drug company? I would guess that she would make half of Howard’s salary or so. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/69 "2015-06-08T18:07:06Z")
Bernie probably makes so much because she intimidated the people who set her salary. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/70 "2015-06-08T18:16:33Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Oh, _tips_. I misunderstood. Never mind. 😉 The concepts are related. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/71 "2015-06-08T18:23:08Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I always thought it was crazy that Bernadette would make so much more than Howard. What is she, a Ph.D chemist for a drug company? I would guess that she would make half of Howard’s > salary or so. Neither Bernadette’s or Penny’s recently reported salaries make much sense for people just starting out in their fields. All of them should we very well off based on their reported incomes. The guys had no great expenses, they don’t go out much, Howard lives at home, Leonard and Sheldon share an apartment. Howard and Leonard may have had school loans to pay off but they should have been able to easily afford that and since it’s now in the 8th season they should be nearly paid off. For some reason I think Sheldon went to school totally on scholarships. Raj is rich and Amy should be making around what the guys do. Penny may have had a pile of bills but now that she’s making more than Leonard she should be sitting pretty. They all live pretty modestly for their incomes, I’d think you’d see them discussing investments more frequently, and certainly there shouldn’t be money problem episodes save for the earlier ones with Penny. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/72 "2015-06-08T18:35:12Z")
> [@cardman400](#): > > Hi All. I know I’m late to the party, but I just wanted to chime in. The living situations of Raj, Leonard and Sheldon all seem plausible, although the show has never clearly stated any job titles. I’ve never heard Sheldon addressed as “Professor”, for example, and if he indeed had that position, you can bet that he would insist on being addressed properly. Just an aside here - at school, I had a couple of professors who indicated that they preferred to be addressed as Dr, not Professor. One was an adjunct, another was full-blown, full-time professor for many years. I also had a teacher who indicated that he preferred to be addressed as Professor, because “that’s what I am.” So i could easily see Sheldon insisting on being called Doctor, as some professors do see the PhD as being the proper title, not the teaching title. Also, the Mountain Dew stuff above – why would it be difficult to believe professional academics drink Mountain Dew? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/73 "2015-06-08T18:48:18Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The concepts are related. Finally an explanation for Penny’s short hair, she sold the tips. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/74 "2015-06-08T21:13:13Z")
Please note that merely being a college prof doesn’t mean you make any real money at all. First of all, salaries at a lot of places are remarkably low. The fantastic salaries you hear about on the news are either from quite elite places or people with a lot of grants and/or an endowed chair. Most make middle-middle class salaries or less. I speak from personal experience. Secondly, and that was in the good old days. Colleges now hire a _lot_ of adjunct faculty that make bupkiss. Many are on aid like food stamps and such. (Which makes the puzzle of soaring tuition even more mysterious.) If you want to discuss the salaries of the folk on _TBBT_, please don’t make general statements about what college professors make. These people have good jobs at a good place. That makes them quite non run-of-the-mill. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/75 "2015-06-08T23:16:08Z")
There are also faculty members at universities whom the University literally doesn’t pay at all, or who even pay the University, on net, to be there. These are called “soft money” positions, and are paid entirely by the grants they win (usually from some arm of the federal government). Of course, if your grants come through, you can end up pulling in many times what you would on a regular salary, but the downside is that the money is irregular: A bad year could leave you without any grant funding at all. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/76 "2015-06-09T01:26:54Z")
Which is probably the way Raj is connected to Caltech. Remember, his visa was contingent on his research grant. When that got pulled, bye-bye visa (Season 3, Episode 4 - “The Pirate Solution.”) ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/77 "2015-06-09T05:47:54Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Have they ever said that Howard did his undergrad work at MIT? IIRC, he’s only stated that he has a Master’s from there. So he very well could have done his undergrad work at some California school, where it would be much cheaper to attend. True. Like maybe at CalTech? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587/78 "2015-06-09T17:14:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There are also faculty members at universities whom the University literally doesn’t pay at all, or who even pay the University, on net, to be there. These are called “soft money” positions, and are paid entirely by the grants they win (usually from some arm of the federal government). Of course, if your grants come through, you can end up pulling in many times what you would on a regular salary, but the downside is that the money is irregular: A bad year could leave you without any grant funding at all. Soft money is a bit more complex. A couple of the places I was at, the department had huge amounts of grant money which paid for basically the whole department’s funding. (One place the school paid $36k _total_ for the department: part of a secretary and some office supplies.) But salaries and positions were reliable. It was understood that if the money somehow went away, the school would be on the hook for the tab. Hints of something like this seem to have applied to some of the _TBBT_ characters some of the time. (Note to college students: Never say “My tuition is paying your salary.” to a prof. You might be embarrassingly wrong.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salaries-for-the-characters-on-the-big-bang-theory/527587.md?page=3)