writes:

And firemen on a typical, normal day spend most of their time cooking
chile and washing their trucks.

And police on a typical, normal day spend most of their time cruising
around doing nothing in particular.

And life guards on a typical, normal day spend most of their time working
on their tan.

So what?

All of these train and are paid specifically for the exception. Pilots are
paid to handle the normal aspects of flight, but these aspects are
increasingly automated. Eventually, pilots may work like firefighters, being
there only for the exceptions, but then they will probably be paid like
firefighters as well.

The key point is that a high level of skill is less and less necessary when
flying under normal conditions, and this encourages employers to pay less and
less for pilots.