Originally Posted by Zoomy
How much do most regionals pay? How likely is it that you could one day move from a regional to a major? If so, how many years do most pilots spend on average at a regional?
Typical career path, including costs, salary and estimated time at each step (your mileage may vary):
Earn Ratings (PPL, IR, COM, ME, CFI, CFII, MEI): 6-10 Months full time, cost = $30-40K.
Work as CFI: 1-3 years, $8K-30K/ year
Regional Airline FO: 1-12 Years, $15K-40K
Regional Captain: 2-8 years, $40-100K
Major FO: 2-20+ years, $25K-100k+
Major Captain: $100-250K
Also expect to get laid off at LEAST once for 1-4 years.
Moving from a regional to a major is hard when the industry is troubled (right now!), but a few folks get lucky or have connections. When pilot demand is higher, it can be fairly easy. You often need 2+ years experience as a regional captain to apply for a major.
These numbers depend on many, many variables, including who you work for and the industry health.