Originally Posted by
Utah
#1 Supply and demand.
#2. Working conditions, work rules in Asia.. more than likely suck compared to the U.S. You have to pay more for people to put up with and stick around for stuff like that.
#3 Pilots here are willing to work for less in order to gain experience for the better jobs. -- And this is probably the main reason.
It's pretty easy for regional pilots to make 50K a year. 100k for a captain is easy also. Stick around for a while and the pay goes to 120-150K.
This. People are willing to hang out at the regionals (and eventually move on) rather than relocate to another culture, leaving friends and family behind.
Also work rules and job protections are non-existent overseas (except western europe & australia, but good luck getting a job there).
Also, some expat pilots have had trouble getting hired by US majors for whatever reason. I know several EK types who had to quit and come back to a US regional before they got called by US legacies...and these are naval aviators. UPS/FDX used to require US residency due to USPS contract requirements, maybe they still do?