I guess I fit this category, because I'm working on a project that's based off a scientific paper and is basically a Matlab script turned webapp so that all tho

I guess I fit this category, because I'm working on a project that's based off a scientific paper and is basically a Matlab script turned webapp so that all those calculations don't have to be done locally. The pay is indeed around 60-70% of what the industry offers, but I would have the same rate if was making a CRUD app[0] for the same large company, so it's more about the employer than the type of work. [0] which is something I did in the past - a webapp generating documents ensuring regulatory compliance. This organisation likes to make webapps.