I think money is the very least of considerations in this field. True the money is weak in the beginning. But that's true in many professions. And as has been stated, you can easily make at least 65k after a few years. I'd say a more reasonable expectation in most regionals would be 70-90k. If you can't live off that, you need financial counseling.

For me, the biggest thing you should consider is the lifestyle. Some love the constant change and the ability to travel nonrev. Others can't deal with the vast amount of time away from home and the impact it has on your family life. Missing family get-togethers, holidays, birthdays, etc., is the norm in this industry. That can take a real toll.

Someone said to me the other day, "Man, it must be great to get paid to fly!"

My response was, "They don't pay me to fly. They pay me to spend the night in hotels away from my wife, to sit bored out of my mind for hours in hotels with no crew room, to eat expensive airport food that's bad for me, to have to maintain relationships with my wife/kids/brother/sister/friends over the phone rather than face-to-face, to worry whether the next terrorist/economic downturn will lead to a salary cut or furlough. That's what I get paid for. The flying I do for free."