If you get in this business, know the pay won't be the same as other professionals, but if you manage your money well, you can live well enough in most cases (I'm not addressing the issue of job security, which to me is a more frightening aspect of this business). Since I started dating the girl who is now my wife, and is very good with money, I have come to realize that I make enough to live comfortably and I stressed myself out too much over money in the past because I simply didn't make myself manage it. Once I learned some money managing skills and got into the groove of practicing them, my mid-30k salary (in the cheap deep south) has started taking me a longer way.
Americans have awful money habits. We tend to eat out more than we should. We tend to buy more crap than we should on impulse. We tend to let pocket change go to things like vending machines (where that coke is usually more expensive than the same one bought as part of a six-pack in a store).
Since I started dating my wife, I went from a paycheck-to-paycheck guy who would, about 3-4 times a year, overdraw his checking account, to someone who easily manages a budget with more expenses than I used to have in the overdrawn days. My wife makes less than I do (low-20s), yet between us we manage a $700ish a month mortgage and our bills. We bought her a car this spring in cash (with plans to do the same for me this time next spring).
The keys? It's easier to save on the front end than to pay interest on the back end. It's easier to put money into an account where you can't easily draw from it in order to save. It's more enjoyable than you think to cook (Well, at least that's what my wife tells me, I'm useless in the kitchen). Pay yourself first. Buy if you can because even if your house loses value, you'll still get more of a return of what you put into the property than if you just rented and got NO return (I've gained $15k in equity from appreciation...of course, I don't live in San Diego or Phoenix either).
If you really learn how to manage money AND you love the business, than it can be worthwhile. If you don't have money management skills, the stress of the money issues will probably overwhelm the enjoyment of the job. That's even true if you make more money.
My wife always jokes that it seems like we struggle less than her sister and her husband who, combined, make almost triple what we make, but get killed because they overstretch their resources (basically, they bought a house out of their price range on an adjustable rate mortgage), they buy everything on credit (always trying to get out from under multiple car notes), have bad credit and high interest rates and have a tendency to just buy crap they don't need (that elliptical walker that just hit their curb would be a welcome addition in my living room but for them it was just a clothes hanger and a plaything for a 3-year-old).
The point to all this? Americans tend to waste a lot of money. If you learn how to be good with money, I think you'll find that the money you make isn't as bad as portrayed... Unless you get stuck longterm at one of those $15-$20k community rag jobs...
