Lots of good observations here.
Cfimechanic- I get where you’re coming from, I also am an a&p ia and a pilot/cfi. I like to do mx and I also like to fly, but it’s been pretty eye opening to realize that the pay in the mx world is going nowhere. I was a mechanic for longer than I was a pilot, but when I switched to full time flying I more than doubled my mx pay in just a couple of years and work nowhere nearly as hard as I was when I was turning wrenches.
John said it right- A&P is a blue collar profession, and piloting is a white collar profession (although in some instances a case can be made to the contrary).
Also, one colleague of mine who is a&p/pilot once said that mechanics have a pay glass ceiling and I agree with him. In our area, an a&p rated tech can pretty easily start in the $20s (hourly), but you have to be very good to get into the $30s and that’s pretty much where it tops out, unless you’re willing to get into managerial functions or happen to work in a unionized shop.