I chose a different field than many others myself: power engineering, which started many years ago with a $9/hr job in HVAC. I now run a power plant like Homer Simpson. ha. I recently became and was promoted to a first class power engineer averaging $150-200K/yr without a degree (much like your GF's parents, although I did attend Uni for a while). I am financially on par with the average salary of a pediatrician or your average lawyer. But even now, I consider my career path only half-way achieved. From here I can move into middle and upper level management positions to eventually draw a $300K+ salary on par with surgeons and top lawyers.
I knew back when I was making $9/hr EXCATLY where I wanted to be today and where I ultimately want to end up 10 years from today. I had and still have a very well laid out plan that was and is based on discussions with and listening to people who were/are already doing what I want to do. I thought big. I dreamed big. I was ambitious about it, I knew precisely what I had to do in order to materialize this plan and I continue pushing ever upward with that plan to this very day. I LOVE the fact that I work in a white collar environment, but can still put on a hard hat and go get greasy and dirty like a mechanic when the mood strikes me, which it often does. I LOVE the idea of being underestimated by every day people who see me when I get dirty and think I'm a $30K/yr. ditch digger. LOVE it.
My ex, who mothered my child, came from a Wall Street family that averaged $400K+/yr. At the time I had met her, I was making $10/hr and bicycling to work every day, but I always refused handouts and charity help. My current GF dated a man prior to me who also made about $400K/yr. working in finance. I can tell you that you can shine within these circles of people even if you are not there yet yourself, even if you might own blue jeans that are grease stained like mine.... I was immediately under-estimated by these people upon first impression, but when you have ambition, intelligence, maturity, discipline and a solid, well thought out long-term plan that is respectable to these people, their minds will change about you, regardless of what you are making right now; regardless of whatever negative stigma may come with those initial impressions. You have to steamroll over the many biases you will face along the way. And trust me, it's very fun to do so.
Nursing is a respectable career. It's decent money, yes. But you should think bigger than that. $40-50K/yr. is not terribly ambitious. That milestone should be only your first stepping stone to much bigger things and much greater ambitions. You need to elaborate on what "potential to reach a really good position and the work possibilities are endless" really means to you. Define it specifically. Know what you want. Learn from others and develop a strategy to achieve it, and then execute that strategy. If you have that, it will outshine the spider webs in your wallet.
