It’s not just that, classified government work is a huge PITA to get cleared for in a lot of ways. It’s like the worst, longest, and most privacy killing job interview you ever had, except the dudes doing the interview have the ability to send you to jail if they find anything they don’t like (not that it happens for silly stuff like pot, but it does add to the stress)

And then when you final make it through, you get the priveledge of working twice as hard for half the pay that a skilled professional could make elsewhere.

The only time I’d consider government work is when I’m late enough in my career that the prospect of a pension is more appealing than a high immediate salary