Is learning to count worth the effort?

I've learned a counting system and have been practicing and reading various books on the subject and am left with the question "is it worth the effort?" If I go by stats presented in books, $16/hour to be made when averaged out over the long haul. Another stated that it would take 400+ hours to double your stake with $20 min bets.

Given those numbers it hardly seems worth the time. What am I missing?