The number of licensed agents is staggering. That is because every housewife has a license just in case someone in the family wants a house. Licensees are big business for NAR and the local boards.
The truly professional agents are few and far between. They are great to work with, and yes, they make money.
Some old statistic I remember had only 10% of licensees making a living from it, and only 2% actually making really good money.
The keys are commitment, work ethics, learning, reputation building and staying power. That is a lot harder to do than most people think.