I don’t work in the space or DC, but have worked with people who are in this industry. It’s a career job usually, and many of these folks work in out of the way places. If you’re pulling down $120k in some suburb of Omaha, you’re doing very well.
The career path and security is important as well. A FAANG won’t hire a 45 year old technical SME.
There’s also an academic/industry connection. You may wear multiple hats if you're affiliated with the university, a lab, or a company. I met at least one person who was a professor at a major school, did work at a sponsored lab or think tank (ie. MITRE, RAND Corp, etc), and did some work over a sabbatical for a big name-brand defense contractor.
The career path and security is important as well. A FAANG won’t hire a 45 year old technical SME.
There’s also an academic/industry connection. You may wear multiple hats if you're affiliated with the university, a lab, or a company. I met at least one person who was a professor at a major school, did work at a sponsored lab or think tank (ie. MITRE, RAND Corp, etc), and did some work over a sabbatical for a big name-brand defense contractor.