You play engineering and revenue as a dichotomy when in fact it is a duality. In the "real world" that you like to refer to, it is more of a symbiotic relationship. Though it would be nice to be aloof in a lab and be lavishly compensated, I would venture to say that such a situation is not the norm.
Let us get one point understood. You deserve nothing more than you pay for. You were not, by merit of your diction, infrastructure, prowess, or mandate from heaven, conferred a right to the resources of another individual or conglomeration of individuals.
If you abhor these paper-pushers so, you are more than able to find the capitalisation to finance a global altruistic network where anyone can peer with anyone and we will all get along. It will be akin to the communes of the 60s. We can just hallucinate until the reality evaporates.
BR
"Well said, well spoken." -Irwin Fletcher (AKA Fletch (AKA Chevy Chase))