well no, there's certainly a gap between the average and elite as far as earnings and return on investment. i just meant that gap doesn't really manifest itself as in-the-money %, which is overrated in MTTs. far more important than the percentage of the time you make the money is how often you go really deep, because the structure of MTTs is so top-heavy and rewards final tables and top 3 finishes so highly. the best are the best because they get wins, top 3 finishes, and final tables much more often, which catapults their earnings and ROI
that being said, most pros, including tournament pros, have agreed that if one was equally proficient in cash games and MTTs, being a cash game pro offers much more potential for earnings and a better hourly rate. there's also the fact that those earnings will be much more consistent, whereas playing only large tournaments for income means most of your winnings will come in large chunks and you have to be prepared for long break-even/losing droughts between those big scores