Don't overestimate the salaries of other professions
I think as a group pilots seem to overestimate the earnings available in other professions - sure a top Harley Street Consultant earns £150 000 a year or more but they're a tiny percentage of Doctors - most are GP's who earn between £25 and £60 000. In my own field of IT as a Graduate with 11 years experience aged 33 I was earning £44 000 and that was more than all of my other IT Graduate friends most of whom were earning mid to high £30k's. IT Contractors earn between £300 and £500 a day but have no job, security or pension and now the market for them has collapsed they frequently aren't earning anything. My wife was an IT Contractor and in her best year took home £39000 - maybe £70 000 gross equivalent.
I do think that City salaries are a hideous joke in banking etc but again I suspect the numbers of people making those salaries are relatively low.
I don't know any poor airline pilots, sure the starting salaries aren't great, but in the low cost carriers it seems you can get a command within 5 years which as I understand it means a basic of £65 000 which is hardly to be sneezed at is it? Most SFO's with say 5-7 years experience in a flag carrier seem to take home £4000-£4500 a month which means that potentially in 7 years I could be earning double my previous IT salary.
Because of the lifestyle implications and the costs of funding your own training I would hope nobody goes into this career for anything other than a passion to fly. I know I'm making a considerable financial sacrifice to train because it's the only thing I've ever wanted to do. In short I don't want to get to 60 and look back on a mundane life in an office wondering 'what if?'
I firmly believe you have to do something you love in life to be truly happy and selling out for money doesn't bring fulfilment long term once the buzz of a nice holiday, new care etc has worn off.
Desk-pilot