Originally Posted by
DaleHog
However, with a family and 2-kids we're struggling with the big pay cut (they just upped the GS pilot pay and got the tech bonus). We're frugal, so we'd do it in a heartbeat if I was convinced it would get me to the majors faster.
Thoughts?
Depends on a lot of things like the cost of living in your state. I live in TX which is inexpensive compared to many parts of the country and I'm thankful for that. I was AGR O-5 with a pilot bonus. I took a 40% paycut to retire from the USAFR (no AD retirement) and go back to my ACMI. Then another 10-15% paycut to start over at a Legacy. My wife stays home with the 2 kids. We make it all work on first year Legacy pay (around $80-90K) and we're almost to year 2 pay which will be a 50% raise. I'll be back to my AGR pay by year 3 and pulling way ahead after that. Do some planning, pad your emergency fund then bite the bullet. The breakeven point is only about 3 years out. If you want more details, feel free to PM me.