I'm on year 8 pay on the 757/767 at big D and will gross about $175K not including per diem, a 15% DC plan and profit sharing. But I drive to work in a junior base and pick up as much as I can. I haven't made less than $100K since year 1.

Check out the payrates on this site and multiply by 1,000 (1,150 if you want to work and live in base) to arrive at a rough estimate of your earnings and how long it will take to "catch up." YMMV -- and it will. There will always be "unkowns" (black swans as they're fond of saying now.) But I can think of few worse regrets than reaching 65 and looking back thinking, "If only I'd ..."

I consider myself extremely fortunate because I've wanted to work at a legacy since I was a wee little lad. and really couldn't see myself doing much of anything else, inside or out of aviation. Having done 135 and 121 (regional and legacy) I can tell you hands down there is less stress involved in the latter -- you're job is to fly the airplane safely, nothing else. The catering, newspapers, spoiled trust-fund kid and lavs are someone else's problem.