Payroll is a total amount in any company. The issue in the airline industry isn't the total payroll, but how it is split between employees. The very heavy top end of airline pay requires a very thin bottom pay to balance things out. Pay isn't the issue so much as division of the pay. It is never going to be fixed because there is no interest on the part of labor and the economics of the airline industry doesn't generate the $$$ for the companies to fix it.

Ultimately though the airline industry offers the highest probable shot at entering the 1% with very limited specialized skills out of any career. Because of that it has been and always will be desirable roll of the dice for people and thus the pool of prospective pilots is always going to be there.