This sounds oh-so familiar.... especially the 'ambition' to go-pro.... had a quick look, and gender is declared female... and the "Ah!" sigh happened.
I don't want to be patronising.. but lsten to Phil, it IS like the lads kicking a coke can about the play-ground, talking about what boots they should have for when they are in the Premier league.
In days of yore, when cameras only took film, and were 'oh so complicated' and expensive, only 'Dad' ever touched it, photography was a significantly male preserve.
(and in the 1920's my School teacher Gt Gran with a 1/4 plate camera, sending my grandmother out to find the 'hedge eggs' she couldn't use for baking to mix up emulsion in her kitchen to take photo's on the Sunday Picnic WAS the very very rare exception t the rule!)
When cartridge loading point and press instamatics came along n the 60's & 70's co-ncidet with an upscaled women's lib, it did do a lot to put cameras into the hands of women, which was often ridiculed as 'point and press' lady-photo, not 'real' photography. Ever more automated electronics into the 80's and 90's, making 'enthusiast' cameras so much more user freindl, brought so many more women weened on pont & press cartridge cameras into the persuit (as well, as blokes too, it has to be said).. and a trend that s still with us, ad exagerated by the camera phone, and instagram, where, the woman, till a century on is more often the more usual are giver for chldren, starts taking baby snaps, with phone, and adding pretty 'effect filters' that often give them a professional 'studio look'.. are encouraged to take it further, culminatng n a Digital SLR... and a social media archive fll of water marked kiddie pcs, and suggestion that they 'specialist' in 'situational photography', 'event photography' and 'portraiture'..... and 'likes' o social media and comments suggesting "That's oh so good you should be a pro'.....
Phil pointed out how few genuinely 'professional' photographer's there are, compared to 'professional' footballers.... and even of those, how many 'professional' footballers, are SO far from the premier legue! Most are plasters or car salesman, from the amateurs, paid a pound a game, that doesn't even cover their expenses, let alone a living wage!
Continuing the analogy to photography, it follows, even of the very very few pro's, not a awful lot will make a real living wage from it, and of those that might, number that are able to 'specialist' in any way, are few; most will be taking whatever jobs come along, from weddings, to double glazing brochures, to school photo's, and everythig and anything in and around; And those that might one have supported a 'family portrat' studio, as a large bit of their business? Are closing down thier studio's in droves, in the face of the 'Oh your so good you should be a pro', mum, with a fancy camera and an instagram filter in the play-ground.
Which s a long way round way of suggesting that there is a BIG gulf between the ambition to go-pro and the reality... and even if you did make that leap, the 'indulgence' of amateur photography being able to take photo's of the subjects you preffer, is something that HAS to give, you have to take photo's of whatever flk will pay for, whether you like it or not, and artstic merit and interpretation is often NT something they are particularly interested about, or prepared to pay you to indulge in...
PICK what suits the job you have at hand here and now, that sits your purse as much as anything else.
More 'pro grade' cameras have been bought over the years by amateurs indulging thier hobby than have ever been bought by real pro's. And to illustrate that idea, I was once privy to a conversation between a indulgent amateur, waving £1000's of pounds worth of Hassablad, he had on approval for the week-end, trying to ask advice of local 'pro' who stunned him when he sluffed him off, saying he hadn't got a clue, he didn't own one and had never used one, and admitting to using a 'cheap' Bronica, explained "Yup, well, I have to make a living from the photo's I take, every penny I spend on a bit of kit I dont really need or a brand name I can live without is money that could have gone to pay my mortgage" Pros DONT buy more camera than they need, or waste money on fancy brand names or gadgets and gee-gaws; they cant afford to! They are pro's they need to make a living, if something cant pay its way, they cant afford it.
Which is to add to Phils comment that "Beginners think it's about cameras; Enthusiasts think it's about lenses; Photographers know it's about light." that Pro's now its about the MONEY, and a way of thinking, which is NOT photographic, that is not 'artistic' but commercial, like an accountant, the bottom line is where it starts, if you cant get over the bottom line, the rest don't matter....
Which is to suggest the very question, implies a way of looking at your photography that exemplifies that 'gulf' between amateur indulgence and professional earning IS huge and as yet, you don't even recognize there is one....... let alone have got to a place you might be about to try cross it! (And that's not sexist, just as many men are just as guilty; but, the opportunity for Instagram kiddy shots by mums HAS made it more endemic among them)
If you really want to be a pro, Start to THNNK like a pro... the bottom line counts. Using that aspiration, to be a pro, to justify indulgence amateur photography and ignore the bottom line of whether that purchase can in any way, pay for itself, here, now in the immediate let alone a potential, may never happen imaginary future, is NOT going to help you either, take better photo's, nor spend money prudently, nor make that leap to beig a real pro any easier, actually the converse; it's perpetuating the indulgence of hobby photography.
Think about it. You dont need our advice; you need a camera! You need apocket calculator! How much does camera cost? How much will pictures sell for? What other expenses will there be to take those saleable photo's? After coverng costs, how many paid for photo's will you have to sell to pay for this camera? Do yo actually stad a better than 50/50 chance of taking AND selling that many photo's with it n the next twelve months?
Like I said, after its more even than Phl's ametuers thnink its about the camera, enthusiasts about the lens, photographers about the light.... the Pro's know its about PAYING THE BILLS... This camera going to pay bills, or make them? THAT's the bottom line. What we think wont change that or tell you what to do, and IF there is one single step, towards fullfilling your 'pro' ambitions, THAT is it starting to think like one, and reaching for the pocket calculator, before reaching for the camera.