Originally Posted by
SkyHigh
In summary:
My friend was in the flight program but backed out and switched to teaching. It will take his flight buddies almost ten years to get to pass the 40K mark.
The company dangles a carrot of earning 75K in 10 to 20 years of flying the line, and little else, but by the time you get there an enlisted person in the Army would be receiving a retirement check.
SKyHigh
I currently fly at my corporate job with copilots in King Airs and Citations that make over 40K and they are just starting out. If it's taking any pilot with career aspirations 10 years to make 40K/year, they're what we call "lazy." The most an enlisted person will make, at current rates, is 65K (an E-9 with 26 years). Retiring after 20 years and the most they'd make in retirement is 25K/year. Go ask any lawer or doctor how long it takes them to repay their student loans. MUCH longer than any pilot is paying for theirs. Of course, a small percentage of them hit the Holy Grail and rake in the bucks, but not many.