Other "wannabee" careers
I can think of other career fields where many people will accept almost any standard of living just to "be there" and hope for the big break. One is show business -- that's why Actors Equity and the SAG were formed. Other than enforcing a modest minimum pay scale, I don't know how effective they have been for the average actor. Another is professional sports, but their healthy minimum pay scales don't apply to minor-league players, most of whom need second jobs. Of course, neither of these career fields require spending thousands of dollars or years of military service for training, and these workers are not responsible for the safety of human lives.