It’s easy to criticize the NSA because what we see in the news is mostly criticism of their failures and mistakes. My understanding from the little information

It’s easy to criticize the NSA because what we see in the news is mostly criticism of their failures and mistakes. My understanding from the little information I have ever received from former NSA colleagues is that the work they do is critical for global security. They actually prevent a lot of badness and people who work there feel they are making a difference. The other thing I have gleaned is that the work involves tech that no one else would ever invest in. For example, a former professor of mine worked on an integrated circuit VLSI design that was, at the time, at least 10-fold larger than any commercial chip. Entirely in secret, of course. The salary may not be world-beating, but - from what I can glean - the work is rewarding and meaningful in ways that compensate for the difference in pay.