NASA is hiring a new 'planetary protection officer' to defend Earth from alien matter, and the pay is a six-figure salary: as much as $187,000 a year.
When we are not sure whether aliens exist, why are we still hiring staff for protecting Earth? I do understand we have to take precautions. But when we don't have any proof why spend $187,000 a year?
Source: Nasa [sic] hiring new 'planetary protection officer' to defend Earth from alien matter - Times of India, Aug 3, 2017
This article reports that NASA is currently recruiting a Planetary Protection Officer to safeguard Earth from potential contamination by extraterrestrial matter. The salary for this position is as high as $187,000 a year. The justification for the role, and the high salary, is that we need to take precautions against potential contamination from space, even if we haven't yet definitively detected extraterrestrial life.

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Last seen on: Aug 3, 2017
I know it's a legit news item. I've just shared my curiosity regarding the huge salary. And if I'm not wrong, there's nothing in the news item explaining the reason behind the six-figure pay. I'd like to know why someone would be paid that much when we don't know the definite existence of aliens.

That being said, in the absence of