I've also struggled with this question since working in industry. There isn't an objective answer to this. I think it largely depends on the narrative you tell yourself about the work you do.
IMO, the "meaningful", tangible problems in the world today are social problems. Most programming jobs _are_ the same from this point of view because as engineers, we make tools. We can hope that these tools are used for "good", but at the end of the day, they are existentially and morally neutral.
That being said, I think cybersecurity is a safe bet. Or sacrifice the 200k and go the teaching route.
IMO, the "meaningful", tangible problems in the world today are social problems. Most programming jobs _are_ the same from this point of view because as engineers, we make tools. We can hope that these tools are used for "good", but at the end of the day, they are existentially and morally neutral.
That being said, I think cybersecurity is a safe bet. Or sacrifice the 200k and go the teaching route.