I thought that too, and was fairly successful working for small companies and startups in the laser field. Peers in government and the national labs outearned

I thought that too, and was fairly successful working for small companies and startups in the laser field. Peers in government and the national labs outearned me. The key is expectation value of total lifetime earnings. In retirement, people with real pensions take riverboat cruises in Europe. People without have to worry about Sharpe ratios and PEG.