Originally Posted by
SaltyDog
Skyhigh,
Yes they are, depends on what they are asked to do. Take an air ambulance pilot that saves a loved member of your family, and they made 250K, would it be worth it? Heck yeah in my book, if they can command the prices. What's the self masochistic angst against pilots making coin? Sully is worth the 250K, he doesn't get it, same with his F/O. Those two saved a planeload of people with experience. A 250 hour ab initio F/O may have ridden along with the Sully's but may have likely choked and caused tragedy. Price doesn't equal experience, but it probably is as good a market measure as anyone can get.
The liabilty an airline Capt and crew (look at Comair lexington crash for liability numbers) can lay financial wreckage on the company, much more than most of the management executives. Yeah, pilots are worth it.
It is all relative. A school kid could be messed up for life by one bad teacher. An Army Sargent in Afghanistan could wipe out an entire village with improper artillery coordinates. Every bus driver has the responsibility of dozens of passengers. There are plenty of jobs that carry huge responsibility. Most are not paid what they are worth.
What is a pilot really worth?
They are worth the break even point where just enough pilots show up for ground school for the wages they are being offered. I think the job will find its natural parity point at around 80K for a major airline captain. A large part of a pilots total compensation lies in job satisfaction.
Skyhigh