Great sales professionals would take exception to your statement and I count myself as one of them. What job would have earned me $150,000 working for IBM at the age of 25? 

I learned to sell at IBM and have never stopped learning as the world and people did not stop evolving when I got my MBA in 1978. Not tell me again, that being in sales is not a profession? Please note that there is a HUGE difference between B2B and B2C sales people.