It is simple...forget about the pilot group as a whole. The pilot group as a whole is pretty dumb/underqualified...I mean they push buttons in jets at 300 hours, and if an FO can push those buttons at 300 hours who gives a Flurk if he can push them at 2000 hours...how great can they be??? Thus pay goes down. Think about yourself when it comes to pay...dont run with your hair on fire to the nearest regional airline as if they have the only fire hose in town.

Flight instruct to 135 mins or ATP mins and actually LEARN something, and then go to the BEST PAYING regional...or go to a 135 operation. 135 operators usually hire first year guys at 24k and then they advance up to 30k much quicker than going through the 121 route. I would say a guy with 1 year of 135 experience is worth 30-40k easy. Guys with 135 experience are almost always better pilots due to the fact they usually dont have a captain to babysit them and you cant get into a 135 operation with only 300 hours. Also they often have less automated aircraft and pink line producing equipment (They actually have to know what they are doing and be situationally aware).

Does that really make sense...the guy with less experience is flying bigger equipment and the guy with 135/ATP mins is flying a smaller PISTON aircraft???...a guy with 1500 hours is flying a piston twin (by himself) is making more $$$ than a guy with 300 hours flying a jet? Then you need to remember that a lot of 135 operators dont care to interview 121 SIC guys because they know they probably dont have PIC time or decision making experience with the wx/NOTAMS/or just straight up have a pair.

What are most guys with 1 year of 121 experience worth at the regional level worth? 16k to 22k. The BEST PAYING regional (Horizon) starts out at about 27k. I am also describing a "normal" economic climate. Of course then you have to remember ANYONE who flys a jet at the REGIONAL level is helping to nose dive, and add full power, to the plane that is carrying pilot salaries.