Originally Posted by Joachim

I work at a Delta-contractor, ERJ-145 carrier and it is not Mesa. I have been wondering lately how come operaters in all other countries manage to make a profit AND pay their pilots significantly more than US regional carriers. The difference in pay is astounding. Take for example european ERJ-145 carriers. On average a first year EU, FO makes the same as a first year US CAPT. Thats a huge difference. Now the jump from 1st year FO to 3rd year captain is not as big in the EU as in the states, but the overall income in a row of say 10 years is much higher. Even Chinese ERJ pilots wages are similar to EU wages. BTW. I based these numbers on payscales from: BMI, Flybe, Alitalia, LOT and Regional (france). How come these non-subsidized companies manage to turn a profit and pay livable FO wages? Why is a regional FO worth $60K in EU and China but not in the US?

Thank you