I started in RW at the end of the last century initially as an AFI(H) and then moved up to CPL(H) and ATPL(H) and have got a lot of money out of RW over the years and still continue to do so now.
but for someone new now there is no way I could recommend RW as a career option, the costs are too high, the career options too low, and it simply makes no sense at all to take that much risk unless you have a small fortune to start with.
in cash terms an FI(H) now makes no more than 20 years ago and inflation has eaten at least 50% of the real value of that.
IMO RW is a hopeless industry, and I would 100% go FW if I was new (obviously when things are looking like picking up again there of course)