Originally Posted by
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I did some, but not a lot. 2022 and 2023 were the big premium years for me. That figure was total comp (tc) so included training pay, per diem, 401k contributions and overages, vacation and sick payout, etc. I don't know what my base comp was (ie block x hourly pay).
All that stuff is nice, total earnings and retirement account balances matter at the end of the career. On an annual basis though it's just the cash compensation that matters because that's how you pay your bills. That number for 3rd year FO is about $225k without consistent premium trips every month. Decent living but pretty far from rock star level and I think we earn every penny of it. The days are mostly long, the sleep schedule is rarely consistent and short when it is.