Well...I just got ASA designation this summer but currently working in P&C,,, so I was forced to take CAS 5 early this May, unfortunately I failed T_T... No doubt that CAS is much more difficult than SOA, therefore people get paid higher in North America...however, this seems not the case in China...working harder but paid lower @__@ well... I think I'll go for SOA...
CAS exams may be a bit more difficult than the current SOA exams (the old SOA course 5 and 6 were monsters too), but CAS people do not get paid more because of it, and the wage difference in U.S. is not significant either.