can i make a living out of setting up a credit union or is it strictly voluntary?

Answer 1

after you set up a cu ther emay be some paid jobs possible, depends on the business plan. Thousands of people are employed in credit unions in UK, probably around 1 million employed in cu's in USA
But its an awfully lon gwait and a lot of hard work to get to that point, and as a democratic co-operative, you might have to compete for that job

Answer 2

Although some credit unions are voluntary, most aren't. They run operationally just as a bank, and you can certainly make a living running a credit union. Contact the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) for the specifics of establishing a credit union.

http://www.ncua.gov/