No chance to survive in HK on Cathay SO pay with a family. Even HKA on left seat pay will probably have you bleeding every month unless your wife can also work. Good corporate jet outfits in HK are offering about $15K for FO, $20K Cpt, PLUS housing allowance and daily allowance when flying. Compare that to what the airlines in HK are offering and you'll be able to get an idea of the deals on offer....
There are a couple of airlines hiring in Shanghai that are offering pretty good deals ($20K+ / month) with 6/2, 6/3 and 4/4 contracts available. You can expect an average of about 10 days off per month on your weeks on. Shanghai is not for everybody but I have friends living there for years now, some with and some without families, and they are all relatively speaking happy. Most Chinese airlines also have the opportunity to take a small number of very experienced expat FOs every year, give them extended "upgrade" training, and hire them as direct entry captains. This info I got in person from a very senior management pilot in a Chinese airline.
CP
Last edited by captainprop; 06-20-2016 at 03:18 AM.
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