Slow and steady may work for some.
I left a freight job after 18 years making a base pay of $63,000 per year. Spent a couple of years at a low paying ($32,000) job, but came away with good experience and a useful type rating (the company had no training contract). Now I am in management (still flying) and make a respectable salary. The pilots who work for me start out at the lowest end with $45,000 for a pilot with about 1,500 hours. We bump them up to $55,000 plus within one year. We do have a training contract to protect the wages of those who choose to stick around. Pilots coming with 3,000 hours or so generally start at $55,000 per year. The neat thing at the present company is we are employee owned and have 7 diversified companies within the mother company. Average growth of company stock has been slightly better that 15% per year. Employee owners who contribute to a pretty standard 401K receive a nice company match in company stock. Even at only 8 % annual increase an employee earning only $30,000 per year will have over $2 million in matching funds alone (plus the 401K) if they stick around for 30 years. I have no problem with young pilots chasing the dream to become airline pilots, but there are alternatives and receiving a decent paycheck at a reputable company with little chance of being laid off is not something a pilot should look down their nose at. Drive a freighter around, work for a sound charter company and you may reap the benefits. I have been a professional pilot for nearly 30 years, never been laid off and have an acceptable retirement nest egg to look forward to. Never made the money the UPS and FEDEX guys do but I have always been comfortable.