On the other hand, outside of an academic lab, you are unlikely to ever work on the cutting edge of any field, and in some fields there is no non-academic optio

On the other hand, outside of an academic lab, you are unlikely to ever work on the cutting edge of any field, and in some fields there is no non-academic option at all. A friend of mine does research on quasars and other distant astronomical objects. He has discussed moving to an "industry" job, but has never really wanted to give up the opportunity to work in a field he is truly interested in. Nobody takes an academic job for the money.