I used to work for the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Centers, and it was a pretty good experience. U.S. citizens (and perhaps some dual-citizens) might want to l

I used to work for the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Centers, and it was a pretty good experience. U.S. citizens (and perhaps some dual-citizens) might want to look into such places (Navy warfare centers, NRL, ARL, etc.) TL;DR: The top starting pay is about $150k IIRC, which I'm told is somewhat below what a well-funded defense contractor will pay for really good people. But I worked with some great people, the work was interesting, and it was located in a medium-cost-of-living area. I left because of the siren call of the startup scene, and frustration with some bureaucratic stuff. But in retrospect I actually liked working there the best.