Chess for most people is just for enjoyment and fun. Here in the United States even very strong players (2500+) could not make a good living just by playing in tournaments, of course they could make a decent living by teaching classes but it is not nearly as stable as a regular career such as accountant, doctor, engineer, etc.   I actually think there is more opportunity in China for chess players compared to the United States, but either way you have to be really good to make it as a chess professional. 

 

My parents would not let me study chess to hard when I was young, but I still play today for my own enjoyment.  I could probably reach 2200-2300 fide today but that is too far away from the 2600+ fide which I think would be required to make a good living at chess. 

These certificates are all useless at the end, who will care what certificate you have if you can not win games in tournaments or teach kids well?