Well before flying full time I worked as a careworker (and various factory jobs.) Long hours, frustrating, often not equiped to do job properly or safely (eg, lifting equipment) bad rosters, for an appallingly bad wage. I strongly felt they (managment) took advantage of the fact careworkers are, by their nature, careing and would accept last minute roster changes continually because to refuse would have a negative impact on the residents / patients quality of life.
My fiancee earns half what I do and if you include travel time, works at least a third more hours a week than I do. Whereas if I have a few days off, I might report 10 minutes earlier on the first day to catch up with notices etc before flying as normal, she returns to several hundred e-mails that need actioning.
I was talking in the pub a couple of days ago to someone who is a project manager for a car factory. He can be sent anywhere at short notice for indefinete periods. He has a wife and young child. If he is asked to go abroad he can be working away all week and get home at weekends, but if there is a problem he will be required to stay over the weekend. As he said 'If I was 25 and single, I'd love it but I can't live like this with a young family.'
Not saying we should accept the all the bad things that are coming into the industry, far from it, just that I think anyone thinking thats it's better outside the industry is probably deluding themselves.