what about a gorgeous piece of ass like this who makes 250K plus a year doing porn?
well, if they are running their own distribution or production co. a la jenna jameson, then yes. the run of the mill sluts, no.
i dont necessarily equate income with status. though the two are linked, they aren't the same thing. a stripper can make a grand a night, but she's still a stripper. sanitation workers make about $80k a year, but they're still blue collar. trailer trash who win the lottery are still trailer trash.
"higher echelon" encapsulates income AND prestige (how the public regards the profession, factoring in things like education, social circles, etc.), in my opinion.