I think a favorite expression from the racing industry can be applied to civilian aviation as a career:

How do you make a small fortune in aviation? Start out with a large one.

All my life I have wanted to fly for a living. I've invested probably in excess of $35K in flying to get to where I am now, and I don't even have my commercial ticket yet (20 hours to go).

And now, I've got my bachelors degrees, and what? Do I really want to go slug it out in the regionals for $14K a year, if I'm lucky?

My days of dreaming of being an airline pilot are gone. Now I dream about being a military aviator, doing a service for my country, flying, and making OK money while I'm at it. :)