NASA's budget isn't the reason they don't pay more. They're just not allowed to because of federal pay scales. People generally don't like the idea of their tax

NASA's budget isn't the reason they don't pay more. They're just not allowed to because of federal pay scales. People generally don't like the idea of their tax money funding cushy salaries. If you look at the defense industry the contractors can pay way above the federal pay scales. That's why people with security clearances often just move to a contractor and they literally end up on the same project doing the same work but get paid double what they were while working directly for the government.