Someone posted the $29 GL captain pay vs $40 Horizon FO pay. Then someone corrected with $32 Mesa captain pay vs $40 Horizon FO pay.

I upgraded in 8 months at Mesa in 2006 right at 1500hrs. (When Mesa had 3200 pilots) So I was making the $32/hr.

Until I left Mesa, I had no idea what I didn't know while I was a captain at Mesa. I survived my captain time at Mesa without getting violated thankfully. Some of my fellow Mesa captains were not so fortunate. Looking back at it - one of the drawbacks to upgrading so quickly was I didn't get to see a whole year of 121 operations. Hired in June - upgraded in Jan - so not seeing a years worth of operations meant the first time I deiced I was a captain and the FO wasn't much help he/she was a 200hr wet multi-commercial instrument new hire paired with a wet 1500hr ATP. So lots of grey hairs earned during that time frame.

Anyways when I left a year later for the better regional I was thinking 2d yr FO at $34. It will only be a one year pay cut... - I was wrong. 1st/2d year captain pay $32/hr x 120hrs/month. Does not equal 2d year FO pay $34/hr x 75hr reserve guarantee. It wasnt until I got up to $41/hr on 5th year FO pay did I finally equal the $32/hr as a captain at Mesa.

I will say though that the 1000hrs of tpic that I got as a captain for 11 months at Mesa definitely helped me move on past the regional I went to after Mesa, as I never got a chance to upgrade at the better regional.