First year pay does suck. After that, I don't think it's that bad. The worst part about the job is lack of time spent at home. Exwaterski nailed it on the head as far as the 23 and single part. Eventually, you're going to settle down. Having worked many many less pleasurable jobs, I've got to say the money is decent. Put yourself in the shoes of the minimum wage septic tank digger outer guy, or the guy who harvests agriculture in Yuma, AZ in 120 degree heat, and you realize airline flying isn't that bad. After time though, many forget where they came from. Do I think the pay should be better, absolutely. But so do doctors, lawyers, Dick Cheney, Bill Gates, and so on. Unfortunately, it's human nature to always want more, unless you're a bushman from the Calahari. Maybe I need to move there.

Having said all that, watching your career go down the toilet courtesy of an incompetent management team is pretty frustrating.