Why do most governments pay such low wages?

Hypothetical example: a state pays its lowest paid person $30,000 a year. What is that costing the state? $20,000 to $30,000 in federal money? That is a $10,000 to $30,000 profit per employee. There are 100,000 employees like that in the state, so there is a $1 billion to $3 billion profit. <br><br>Why not pay them $35,000 and live with a 50% profit margin instead of a 100%. Can't they see that it will cost them in the long run in disruptions and turnover? Is this just an example of the extremely wealthy controlling the government?