Interesting to know.
It would be alarming if the harshness of competition many of your posts imply was in comparison to more down to earth(pun intended) lines of work.
The younger,cheaper (in salary or RoI) guy is a fierce competitor in other fields as well. I have personally come across and accepted that. Probably I was that competition some years back.
I do feel a bit more optimistic now.
The cost of training though is still a significant entry barrier that differentiates this career path and should definitely not be taken lightly.