A PhD gives you  a lot of freedom (time) to work on something you consider interesting. It&#x27;s not without other downsides (stressful), but it&#x27;s a trade-off worth considering. Also, in Belgium where I&#x27;m from (but I believe more broadly, Europe), a PhD gives you slightly inferior wages to a junior position, so you don&#x27;t lose out as much as in the US.