(a) I chose the profession, not the pay. If I could do the same work for more money, I would. (b) If everyone left academia to go to better paid jobs, there would be no higher ed.

What could I have done that paid more? I could have gone into health care. Lots of people do that if they want to make good money. But nurses, doctors, etc. need to know the basics of chemistry to do their job properly: if all the chem professors quit, how will they do it?