The people working for the companies usually make more money then those driving for them. Plus think about it outside of the track and the magazines being a "Pro R/C driver" and about $3.50 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. I think many people forget the R/C industry as a whole is tiny. it may seem big from a hobbyist/racer perspective but there is more money in making bedpans then there is in R/C. Even for those of us that work in the industry when telling people what we do they look at us like we are crazy and often reply "I didn't even know there were companies that did that, I guess somebody has to do it.". You have to love what you do to work in this industry either that or live in an area where living expenses are cheap.
You want to make a little money in R/C start out with a lot.