If I change my career to pilot, what can I expect to make in the 5 years following obtaining a commercial license?

At only 550 hours total time you'll be qualified to be a flight instructor (if you get the rating), or fly day VFR part-135 charter, meaning something like a Cessna 207 or Cherokee Six. Typical starting pay for that in the "lower 48", such as sight-seeing tours at the Grand Canyon or hauling skydivers is under $35k per year. In Alaska it is higher. If you were to get lucky and find a co-pilot job in a twin with a charter company, the pay wouldn't be much higher. The regional airlines aren't an option until you hold an ATP. Insurance requirements to fly SIC on a corporate jet are typically more than 1500 hours.  With 5 years experience and a couple thousand hours under your belt, you shouldn't have much difficulty breaking the $50k per year barrier. 

With 500 hours, you could expect to need to have a job outside of aviation. 

Not very much per year, multiply by 5 for a total of about $100K.

You start very low on an hourly salary for first officer of a regional or freight airline.  You are paid for "chock to chock" time.  Showing up at planning desk, then going to plane, doing inspection, pre-taxi check list do not count, as does the time after gate parking, report writing, checkout at desk.  After quite a time, if you are good, you might get promoted to pilot, and earn almost double.  After a few more years, you could apply at a major airline.  Should be lots of jobs opening as workforce ages and retires or gets promotions.  Pay at major airlines is a lot better, and some are salary jobs for a fixed amount of pay (you fly a minimum number of hours, and can fly more within rules for rest and distances). 

Enuff to buy Top Ramen for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Regional airline pilot pay.

In the area of $225,000.