These numbers do not tell the whole story.
The top players all have very lucrative cue deals that, more or less, pay their participation expenses, so they get to keep all of their prize money. Many also have other significant sponsorships and make money from exhibitions, giving lessons, and from action matches. Others own or are partners in either poolrooms or pool merchandising concerns. Some of them generate other income from having a significant internet presence or, in some cases, their own Youtube channel. Still, your suggestion that not many of them make an attractive living is fair.
Nobody selects pro pool as a career because that's where the money is. Certainly, nobody having qualifications in a career that pays much more than pool will choose pool as their career.
Yes, a pro player can probably not afford to live on Park Avenue, but these days, more than you think can live comfortably.
Finally, a marginally successful pro player I spoke to commented "As much as I love the game, I'd probably be playing pool every day anyway. At least this way I am getting paid for it." How does one put a price on getting to play the game you love for a living?
