I have recently defended my thesis (successfully). I am sticking around for a couple of months so that my fiance can finish her PhD, and my advisor has agreed to keep me on. Prior to the defense, my advisor stated that he would substantially increase my salary the day after I passed my defense-- I currently am making $12.60/hour. However, when the time came, he backed down and has refused me the salary increase (which I was really counting on to help me move). Can anyone tell me if following the defense a person typically receives a raise? Any suggestions on getting the raise? Since I hit the cycle by passing my defense in January and the actual graduation is in May, am I a PhD, or not until the actual hooding ceremony?? Thanks for your input.

Count yourself lucky that your advisor kept you on post-viva.

Whilst I agree with clogsy that you're fortunate to be kept on post-phd, I don't think that excuses your supervisor going back on his word. It doesn't sound as if this is dependent on your official qualifications, more your supervisor's own decision about what he can/wants to pay. Unless you have an official job title that corresponds to a specific pay scale at your institute, I don't imagine there's much you can do, and if you're only staying a couple of months I'm guessing it's all pretty informal? It's bad behaviour on the sups part but unless you have the original offer in writing (and are willing to fight him on it) then I imagine it's a case of "like it or leave".

That's right, Teek. In my institute, it is customary that a person who has defended his/her PhD becomes a post-doc with a large increase in salary the day following the defense. So, yeah, the question is, why commute two hours a day for a job I make as much at as Starbucks?