And who are you making friends with that you are making so much more than? I guess I have smarter friends, I sit right in the middle of most of my family/friends or even toward the lower end when comparing lifetime adjusted income. Most were making 6 figures right out of college in the 90's and some are starting to think about retirement as we push 50. You'd be surprised at what people are making these days doing a typical government job with a full pension. And they didn't have to sit in the regionals for 10 years making 20K. The contempt you ("you" being the original poster saying how much more they make than their peers) show for pilots is pretty pathetic not to mention your lack of knowledge of how this industry works. I'm guessing you are also over inflating your own situation compared to your peers. News flash, this career is not as good as you think and plenty of people are making way more money than you.