All new hires start as an FO. They have been burned in the past when they had to move them to a smaller airplane, or downgrade them if they lost airplanes. They determined they would rather hire pilots who are willing to start as an FO and that can become a captain rather than hire a captain who is unwilling to be an FO.
Also, DPJ does not have its own training department and CAE just teaches you how to fly the plane. It would be risky for the company to send somebody out on their first rotation as a captain. It takes a few rotations to figure out the way the operation works. I know another person with Excel time that upgraded in 3 months, so even if you start as an FO, it would only be for a short period.
As of now, pay is $40,000 for all FOs and $60,000 for small and mid size captains. The pay might be coming soon. They have mentioned having a meeting to compare our pay with others in the industry (except for NetJets).