Well to fair, first year pay over at Trans States, Republic and Endeavor is higher than at EAS. Also, people wrapping up training at TSA and Republic are holding lines at least a month or two after they begin reserve. There is also more room for career advancement at Piedmont, ExpressJet and Envoy if your goal is to work for a particular legacy carrier.
And yes, the schedule works out much nicer than most lower-end 135 operators like EAS.