I think 35K per year should be the minimum starting pay for any airline pilot. I think the fact that pilots are worth that much is self evident. Besides that, though, I think it's the minimum amount that a pilot needs to keep themselves in a healthy and rested condition. By that I mean things like be able to have a place to stay, or pay for a motel room to avoid sleeping in crew rooms, parking lots, etc. and being able to eat right, etc. The same goes for being able to provide for One's family. I think 35K per year is what's basically needed to keep a family off food stamps.

I'm also I believer that first officer pay should be two thirds of captain pay. If a first year captain makes 60K, then a first year F.O. should make 40K. If a 20 year captain makes 100k, then a 20 year F.O. should make 66K. Two thirds makes it simple.

I also believe that a 1500 hour ATP should be the minimum requirement to get hired. I think that that alone would cause F.O. pay to rise, plus it would take away the whole argument that "250 hour wonders" should be happy with crappy F.O. wages.

Besides just the pay issue, however, I think some quality of life issues could be adjusted to make it easier for guys who are stuck on the bottom forever in this day and age. I don't think that 10 or 11 days off per month, sitting reserve, was intended to be a long term life style either.