A few folks have suggested that pilots aren't as "professional" as doctors just because we didn't spend years in a classroom taking notes. The "$9,999 for knowing which screw to turn" illustrates why you are wrong. You go to a doctor and he tells you what's wrong. Here's the bill:
Listening to your ailments - $1
Knowing what drug to prescribe - $99
Same thing applies in aviation. Any clown knows we need to take fuel and stay above the terrain etc. But we should be paid the big bucks because we know HOW MUCH fuel to take and HOW TO AVOID the terrain. Slightly on tangent, I also think that we should be paid the moment we turn up for duty. In my opinion, preflight decisions on route, altitude, fuel, alternates and thrust derates are just as important as knowing when to turn to intercept the LOC and where to start the descent. Much of the reason flying is the safest form of transport is a direct result of the choices we make on the ground, in the dispatch office, while we're not getting paid.