Originally Posted by
DenVa
Not to pile on, but I was once enamored with shiny business jets. But if you are in SoCal, then there is absolutely no substitute for sitting at home, getting paid to be on reserve, and not getting used. Which, within a few short years, you will accomplish. Think waiting for the phone to ring while you are surfing, vs while sitting in a hotel in BFE.
As a comparison, I am a less than 14 yr major FO and will make close to the top end of the stated NJ captain pay. I average 10 days gone a month not including vacation and sick time.
Of course, your mileage will likely vary.
And don’t buy into the 3 weeks off with one week vacation hype. That is completely doable elsewhere.
If, you live in BFE or need specialized health care, go to NJ. But, history says you’ll do better at an airline. If you can get there, of course.
2year legacy FO here on year 3pay…. I feel NJ can be a very good fit for a lot of people (positive space commute, known schedule in advance, variety of flights etc.) My buddy (year 2 at NJ) is on the global and absolutely love the plane and diversity of flying + amazing healthcare and do not fly much… No airline can beat NJ healthcare wise let’s be honest here. They know their schedule way in advance which can be huge too for certain people. I honestly envy his flying sometimes on the global especially being young and loving to travel BUT nothing can beat a major in terms of pay, 401k, QOL (especially on the job… reroute, work rules, travel benefits…) and overall solid contract rules-no matter what people say about NJ new contract. Assuming no furlough for a pilot over the course of a career it’s millions of dollars left on the table which can greatly affect someone’s life and family. I should make ~300k$ before taxes this year without 401k and profit sharing and that’s not even pushing hard at all!! For me NJ could have been a great place for a few years to start but never with the intention to stay long term. Each situation is different but one metric to consider is few pilots (or none) leave voluntarily the airlines to go to NJ and we all know the opposite!
Happy Tailwinds!