I was hired on with about 2300 hours. Light jet F/O making $45K, typed at FSI. Upgraded in about 6 months. This was 7 years ago. Not a bad operator, but like most small time 135 outfits with one crew per airframe, it was difficult to get vacation and a truly set schedule.

QOL and pay for 135 is all over the map. Margins are thin and competition is cutthroat. It takes an incredibly well managed company to do things right and make any money - at least in the business jet saturated market I was familiar with. Most end up cutting corners. Crappy pay, making people pay for types - that sort of thing. The shadier ones were skimping on MX, having pilots falsify flight logs to make rest or duty time work, and so on. Do your homework and ask around. The shadiest places sometimes have the nicest websites - you've got to dig a little to get the real story.

Of course we're our own worst enemy. I remember one young guy creaming himself over his $35K G-III job. Makes it hard for anyone to make a good living when plenty of others are willing to work for nothing.