The PBA never paiod a "salary", BUT, when the exempt tour started the exempt players did get a weekly check of approx $1200.00 per tournament. This basically paid their entry fee and some of their weeks expenses. It has since been decreased and is now down near to the $800.00 per week range. So no it is not a salary, but it did help them.
As stated it is very difficult to seek out a living on the tour itself, even if you were extremely dominating at a consistent rate. Most have "side" income from doing clinics, owning pro shops, etc. Also they enter regionals, more local tourney's that allow PBA members, and their was at least one or two that also were assistant coaches at the college level.
We have Jack Jurek, Brad Angelo, Joe Ciccone, Ryan Cimmenelli, Liz Johnson here locally. Jack owns a nice pro shop, Brad runs a very successful camp/clinics. I know Joe bowls a lot of stops in regionals along with Ryan, and all get involved in many local tourneys and shootouts.
The Older We Get, The Better We Were
www.MTFD.com - a NY State Vol. Fire Department
www.BowlWNY.com - local & national stories by Joe Ciccone
www.FDracing.com The worlds fastest firemen in the origional Xtreme Games
24 is not my age, IQ, or bowling average, but my firematic number, at least I think that what it is