Government pay often is. The pay scales are capped, with a few exceptions and ways around things, so unless this job goes up to an SES or similar grade that $197k is the best they can do.
Note that at the top the GS-15 steps 6-10 all get the same pay. The linked position's listed pay range spans GS-13 through GS-15, which is actually a huge spread and kind of funny. That's a large spread in responsibility between GS-13 and GS-15. In civil service, as a manager a GS-13 might be responsible for on the order of 50-100 people and millions in contracts and equipment, a GS-15 might be responsible for thousands of people and billions in contracts and equipment (location does matter a bit, the folks in DC, because the cost of living is so much higher, usually end up with some grade inflation so drop them 1-2 grades to compare to the rest of the US).
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries... - All pay scales
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries... - DC area, so base + locality.
Note that at the top the GS-15 steps 6-10 all get the same pay. The linked position's listed pay range spans GS-13 through GS-15, which is actually a huge spread and kind of funny. That's a large spread in responsibility between GS-13 and GS-15. In civil service, as a manager a GS-13 might be responsible for on the order of 50-100 people and millions in contracts and equipment, a GS-15 might be responsible for thousands of people and billions in contracts and equipment (location does matter a bit, the folks in DC, because the cost of living is so much higher, usually end up with some grade inflation so drop them 1-2 grades to compare to the rest of the US).