Mrs Pavane works as a singer, pubs, clubs & nursing homes in UK
This is pop/easy listening, not folk, although sometimes I do go with her, and we play some folk - Welsh and other Celtic tunes and the odd song (always goes down well)

She currently has 120 bookings for nursing homes up until end of 2004, total income expected approx UKP4600. Adding perhaps 30 pubs & clubs at c UKP120 making a total of just over UKP 8K or maybe $14k
From that, deduct travel expenses.

As you say, you can't make a living on that basis. (But a nursing home is for one hour only, plus up to 1 hour travel, so it is not full-time.)