"It is true that there are plenty of marginally employed people as actors and lawyers however when they do make it big it is usually to a life of significant income and control."
Skyhigh- The pilots just STARTING can make 18K and have all the crummy hotels they want! And all they have to do is fly which is what they want to do. If they wanted lots of $ and to sleep in their own bed every night and decided that they were going to accomplish this through being a pilot they're a moron.
I can not speak for actors, but I can speak for musicians. Musicians can be 20 years into a career and not be making 18K. Pilots who are 20 years into a career will be making 18K as long as they can find a job. Once they do find a job, they can be assured that they will keep it until they get furloughed or laid off which won't happen for at least a few months. Maybe never! Musicians get hired to play a gig, and once that gig is over they are instantly unemployed again and need to find their next job.
Jazz musicians do alright, because there are alot of opportunities for work and they play using improvisation so there isn't much rehearsing needed unlike cover bands who spend 7 hours reharsing for one nights set list. Most musicians/singers want to play pop music or rock and can not make a living just singing or playing music, they need to do related things like teach music lessons or open up a music retail store in order to earn top dollar (which isn't much). Pilots who instruct are the low-income level of aviation, musicians who instruct are the minority or musicians who actually have a steady income.
I spent all of high school and the early years of college in bands playing music. I even spent a summer @ Berklee college of music. I wanted to make it big in a band and spend my life in a different city every night traveling and playing music for enough $ to not starve. After a while I found that I enjoyed playing music, but if I pursued it professionally I'd end up in a retail store teaching music lessons/babysitting fifth graders so I could make enough $ to buy a car which could get me back and forth between gigs and my parents basement. If I wanted to travel and see the world and be able to support myself doing it, there was a better career out there for me. Thats why I post on this forum now.
Back on topic to the original poster and everyone else- If you want to be an airline pilot, it is a "glamour job." All glamour jobs are tough to make a living doing, but pilots actually stand a good shot at finding steady employment/enough money to support themselves (not neccessarily a family). If you want be an "Airline pilot" there are a lot of things that will determine your success that are beyond your control. If you simply want to make a living flying, and are not picky about how you do that, you will probably find success. Get your ratings, get an education, network like crazy, be persistant, keep a good attitude, and eventually things will work out for you.