Are you in the US?  Even at the federal levels, politicians&#x27; salaries aren&#x27;t particularly high, relative to what those same people could earn in the private sector.<p>Congressmen earn $174,000. That&#x27;s not a huge amount for a group that largely consists of successful lawyers, with a smattering of doctors and other businessmen.  Many of them are millionaires before they take office.<p>The governor of my state (Virginia) is paid $175,000.  Again, pretty good money.  But, the current governor, Terry McAuliffe, was a successful banker and real estate developer prior to entering politics.<p>And, as noted in a sibling comment, the real problem isn&#x27;t corrupt politicians. Corrupt bureaucrats are a much worse problem for an average citizen&#x27;s day to day life.  And those bureaucrats are not paid anywhere near as well as the politicians.