Hey Much Ado,
My wife's law degree cost around $38k. In her first year she was salaried at $60k, plus her employer payed for her PLT at the Sydney College of Law (effectively sponsoring her admission as a practicing solicitor).
A career as a pilot can be rewarding for many reasons, and I know I enjoyed my time as a pilot far more than the time I wasted on trains, but financial rewards do not seem to part of the package in Aviation. People should make their move into the industry with their eyes open.
One guy I used to work with told me with a straight face that he got into aviation for the prestige! He had been interviewed for several cadetships and not progressed beyond the first stage. He sat and failed exams multiple times, he could not tell the difference between an Airbus or Boeing aircraft; yet he was adamant that he wanted to be an airline pilot. He didn't even bother to study. Yet he still convinced his parents to fork out $70k on his training. And even after that he couldn't fly for s&$?. I fear that these are the types that remain in the industry when most of the talent goes elsewhere.
I'm not mudslinging or having a go at current pilots at all, but the article seems to support the argument that if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.