Well, I guess I wouldn't work for the NSA no matter what (well, it depends on the specific job, of course, they might actually have some positions that are not

Well, I guess I wouldn't work for the NSA no matter what (well, it depends on the specific job, of course, they might actually have some positions that are not ethically questionable, after all), and there is one important reason why pay cannot compensate for it: The effects are not just on others, but also affect myself, so that's a cost that I have to subtract from the pay. A society with complete surveillance removes everything from life that makes it worth living, for everyone, including myself, and you can not buy that back, so money would be worthless as compensation. I think a common misconception is that ethics are somehow something that you obey for others to gain from it. A concensus of behaving ethically creates wealth for everyone, including yourself. It's not that we do not commonly mug other people in the street because we don't want to have their money, but because a society where you can expect to not be mugged is just so much nicer to live in, so that is a value in itself. The only problem with that is that society can support some free riders, and so there is some motivation to be the free rider.