MKUltra and Battlinbear21, I quite agree with you.

Someone who gets their 4 year college degree (need I say that again?), gets their hours, works at any of the regionals, volunteers, and keeps their nose clean can expect to be hired by a major by just before their 30th birthday. (Assuming no black swan event, like 9/11.)

Any of the six majors (American, Delta, United, Southwest, FedEx, and UPS) will afford a pilot a very nice upper middle class lifestyle and excellent assets for retirement.

With the mandatory retirement wave (which is going to last 20+ years), someone hiring on by age 30 can expect an upgrade to captain by their mid-40s or so. They will spend a couple of decades in the left seat, making excellent coin, and spending quite a few years with a choice of prime lines.

I am not a rah rah, I am just stating the facts.