Does steemit work that effectively

I am sitting and wondering if me or u can make a living out of steemit.
I see a lot if people with huge accounts but how long does it really take for one person to actually be seen by steemit or persons that can up vote u so that u can withdraw a good amount of money to support yourself and your family.
Luckily I've got other incomes and don't rely on steemit or YouTube but would like to know how many people make a proper income with steemit.
Thanx!