Originally Posted by nwa757
...with regard to PAX load, but a heavier, longer aircraft that demands more responsibility...
I don't know that a pilot's amount of responsibility has anything to do with a "heavier, longer aircraft". A pilot in a J-3 has the same responsibility of a pilot in a A-380, which is to safely complete a flight.
The only true metric one may use for commercial airlines is productivity. A larger A/C may carry more passengers or weight, generating more revenue for the company, thus the pilot is more productive. Two pilots carrying 480 people have been more productive than two pilots carrying 19.