Originally Posted by SWAcapt
How long has the average Horizon pilot been there? I'm guessing about 10 years. The junior capt was hired in 1999 (6 yr FO). Based on the 92hr guarantee, 2nd year FO($31) makes $34,224. That's pretty close to what the 'general population earns'. A 10 year Dash capt makes $69,552 and a 12 year CRJ capt makes $106K.
The average annual pay of all workers covered by state and federal
unemployment insurance (UI) programs rose by 2.5 percent to $36,214 in
2001, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
It would appear that either the pay #'s on APC are wrong or you may need to reevaluate what you think 'a living is. I made a living as a $29K Deputy Sheriff and a 36K first year SWA FO but know some of my fellow $200K+ capt's that need to fly extra to meet their oblibations.
If you compare your pay to that of most CEO's, you will be disappointed but if you compare your pay to what the general population truley earns using real #'s, Horizon pay does't look so bad. It's all about perspctive.
You are certainly entitled to you opinion and I enjoy reading your posts as well as the other posters but your last statement was factually wrong.
You have done some research. However, I still disagree with you. I worked for Horizon as a line pilot and still have friends who work there as Captains. They report to me that as 7-8 year Captains they are making around 50-55. They all expect their pay to be cut at the next contract. If you take the math further most new hires at Horizon spent 2 to 7 years doing jobs they paid much less before they got to horizon. Besides that they are deeply in debt to college loans and flight school expenses. Therefore you really need to look at the whole picture. Everything these guys had to go through to make that 35K. Then compare it to a local new hire cop or firefighter. In the city that I lived in as a pilot for Horizon a new hire firefighter made 52K starting out and had opportunities to earn much more in overtime. The police earned close to the same. A police or fire new hire mostly had no college and no extra paid for training. The average age was between 20 and 25. In addition they will receive a full retirement after 20 years. It is a good deal and many Horizon Pilots have left to pursue those goals. I also have the benefit of owning a few rental homes and have been able to survey the population and am constantly stunned to discover what other people earn. A starting paramedic makes 36K his first day out of school and rapidly moves up to the mid 50's at least a full decade before the average Horizon pilot makes that much. Plus the paramedic has a retirement. By the time a poor Horizon pilot makes it to the left seat and has enough time to get hired by a good company he/she is in their lower to mid 40's. If they are lucky enough to have a family their kids are older and well established in the community. It is tuff to leave for a starting position at half the wages in a strange town. My point is that the efforts are not worth the results when looked at over time. If a person is dedicated and focused enough to make it through flight school, college and through the perilous years as a CFI or freight dog then they could have done many other things that have a much better return. By the time our Horizon hero is starting to make some good money he/she has jumped into a tax bracket that allows the government to take a large chunk of it at the same time someone who went to the fire department is looking at retirement. In closing there are a few guys in my home town who lay tile for a living and they average between 85 and 120K per year. No college debt no training costs, just cash. They are usually sitting in the back of the Dash 8 on their way to their second vacation of the year while the guys in front are trying to choke down a sack lunch.
SkyHigh