More like work smarter. A lot of very hard jobs don’t pay much.
So much has to do with the accident of birth. It gets you better prepared and you can pretty much be an idiot but still go through a good college due to who your parents are and create your own connections. A great many hard working industrious intelligent Americans have to work at a young age to help make ends meet. They absolutely don’t have to catch a break but instead will toil in obscurity their entire lives.
You can, in direct response to your statement, work smart but unless someone helps lift you up, say promote you instead of their own kid, never make headway.