There are a lot of different photography careers. I know several photographic professionals, only one of whom makes the majority of his income through actually doing photography.
Examples: landscape photographer, who runs photographic courses as the main part of his business. Owner of a small IT business who does all his company's advertising images himself. Lecturer in photography (to be fair, he used to run his own portraiture business). A couple who run a business selling holiday postcards. (They do make their own images, but only for a day or two a month.)Forensic photographer and videographer for the police. This last friend is the only one who regularly uses a camera as to make his living. Myself, I am an amateur who gets commissions - usually unpaid for charitable concerns that I have some connection with.
From conversations with my friends, and other professional photographers, it seems to me that understanding and enjoying running a small business is more important, and certainly a larger part of making a living, than photographic ability. If you're going to make this a career, then you should enjoy setting up and running a business, advertising yourself and your services, working with people (even if you are a product or technical photographer, you'll still need this to make your business work) as much as your photography - especially as it wont be your photography, but images for someone else!
Assuming you have the photographic skills, then learning the business, for example by assisting a professional, would be a good learning step. Also build a portfolio to sell yourself on - potential employers and customers are all going to want to see what you can do. Only one of my friends has a formal qualification in photography (the lecturer), two were journalists and the couple ran a printing business.
Profitable? probably not, at least to start with, and always a lot of work. No idea how the business in the States, but so far my friends, whose businesses are well established, are doing ok through the slump.
Hope that helps!
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