I work in the DC tech scene. People kind of overlook it, but it pays well and the job security is very high, thanks to the DOD and DHS budgets. I'm gratefully w

I work in the DC tech scene. People kind of overlook it, but it pays well and the job security is very high, thanks to the DOD and DHS budgets. I'm gratefully working on something that I'm not ethically concerned with (as I might be at DOD). I also got lucky and landed with a company that felt more like a startup for a long time, though recently is feeling a bit more corporate. There's no equity, so I'm not making $300+ TC, but I'm at the high end of most salary bands, and have good benefits and work-life balance. The worst part is that the work can be mind numbingly boring, and not challenging in any way, and you may not have much opportunity to learn from really smart people or work on really cutting edge tech. There is a lot of demand and need for talent though, so I don't find it difficult to exceed expectations either. Also personally love living in this area, but I realize that's highly subjective.