This is a frequent misconception that I had as well: nonprofits _can_ pay very well. I worked for a nonprofit as a principal engineer, and it paid better than Google (straight up cash too, since there’s no stock in a nonprofit). You just have to have the track record that shows that you “deserve” to be paid so much. Charging less sends the wrong signal to the employer.

>You just have to have the track record that shows that you “deserve” to be paid so much.

I take it this means be a programmer with significant experience? It would be great too get a fulfilling job that pays the equivalent of a FAANG salary for junior devs, but I don't see anything like that available to me. I guess that'll be one of the good things of becoming an older programmer...

That’s the trouble with these jobs, there are not a lot of them to go around.

Is there any company that fits your criteria? I can't think of a single company that pays "very well" and does not do questionable things.

EDIT: I do not necessarily mean "questionable" here in a moral sense, more so you disagree with it or find it questionable yourself, however your interests may lie.

I didn't say anything about wanting to work for a company that does good or valuable things.

I just don't believe in the mission.

I wouldn't work in certain industries like gambling or tobacco but apart from that I really need the work to be interesting (this is critical), but I just don't feel inspired by the founders goal/mission of "changing the world through being the X of Y".

If anything it's belief in the mission that correlates negatively with financial gain. Non-profits, and companies with verifiably altruistic motives (as opposed to fake altruistic motives), do tend to shave you, but only a little. In non-profits it depends on how well funded they are, so I wouldn't be too quick to write it off.

Working for a non-profit doesn't necessarily mean you won't be paid well.

Although I can't find anything comparing software development salaries amongst non profits and your standard corporations, I did find stats showing that for profit companies have a higher salary- about 30% higher on average (much higher for top level execs).