My first year at a regional I made 35k. Not bad considering 3 of my 10 bids on reserve and i didnt pick up any extrawork. The horrible upgrade is due to the fact that it is still sitting close to 6-7 years to upgrade. This is because I work at a career regional where people never leave.
But my QOL is nice. I can afford vacations and work a standard 4 on 3 off which isnt great but isnt horrible.