For reddit!

pay.py

# from http://www.ece.illinois.edu/students/salaries.html1010

bee = 60.646e3
phd = 90.374e3


# doesn't account for pay raises (which are common)
total_pay_bee = bee * (65 - 23)
total_pay_phd = phd * (65 - 23 - 7) + 20e3*7

# total pay of the bee goes up because they have more expirence (assuming phd
# has the same expirence as an undergrad. not true, obviously)

# ballpark numbers off http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Electrical_Engineer/Salary#by_Years_Experience
bonus = bee + (87e3 - 67e3)*7
# assume that the bee makes 20k/yr more, on *average*. means 20k after 3.5 years
# that means 5.7k/yr of raises
total_pay_bee += bonus


diff = (total_pay_phd - total_pay_bee)
perc = total_pay_phd/total_pay_bee
print "difference in pay between B.E.E and Ph.D: " + str(diff/1e3)[:-4] + "k"

# the difference, even with the bonus, is still 555k