Originally Posted by ryane946
I don't mean any disrespect, but who here has ever been shot at???
Cops make a modest income. Maybe regional captain pay.
I lived in the bay area CA (one of the most expensive places to live in the US), and I know that cop pay scales now max at 100k in San Jose (largest city in the bay, also the safest). That 100k ceiling is higher than any other city in the area. It is the result of a brand new contract.
So I disagree that you will make more money as a cop than a pilot. If you start at age 22 in both jobs, do the cfi, do the regional stuff, major FO, and you should be at a good major job with a solid 20 years of high earnings (and that was very conservative). And a captain job at any big carrier (except JB EMB-190 capt) is more than senior police officers.
Plus, everyone knows the most dangerous part of flying is the drive to the airport. The same is NOT true with cops. Their job is inherently dangerous. And do you want to put up with the kind of crap that cops must go through on a daily basis. Wouldn't you rather fly fewer hours a week, and be able to fly airplanes, or patrol city streets???
Very easy question for me.
Don't forget that cops can earn a livable wage from day one and get a nice protected retirement. In addition they are enjoying a raise in status and pay. By comparison a pilot has to pay growing sums for the licenses and ratings and it takes 3 to ten years to reach even a starting wage as a cop. By the time a pilot had made it to a major the cop is looking at retirement. Lastly it is becoming it is becoming increasingly difficult to even reach one of the better positions. Most will end up serving out their career as a regional pilot without most of the benefits that police and fire enjoy.
The dream that you talk about is mostly a memory now.
Skyhigh