My early salary history as a midwest gamedev:

17yo: unpaid intern, 1 year (2005)

18yo: $20k/yr (2006)

19yo: $35/yr (2007)

22yo: $70k/yr (2010)

I don't regret it; I learned most of my skills during those formative years. But I was also "part of the problem" in the sense that I was happy as a clam being paid $20k/yr living at my parents' house, putting every dollar into the bank. Saved up $15k and felt like I was rich; it was great.

I'm not sure there's anything to learn from my experience, since I was an outlier, but there y'go. I was also so completely dedicated to the idea of becoming a gamedev that I'm not sure anyone could have talked me out of it.