FNFAL

First year F.O pay is probably the most important factor for QOL job security and safety.

- Experienced 135 pilots are extremely reluctant to take a regional job. I met several that had houses, families etc, that claimed that they would never fly for a regional because they couldn't financially survive long enough to wait for an upgrade.

- Lateral Moves. You can't make them as an airline pilot. You can't make a living wage with your skill set for the first 12 months at a regional or major.

So what you end up with

- Regional applicants from Pilot puppy mills that are 21, and thrilled to supplement there parental monthly allowance with first year pay. (beer money)

- A vacuum of experience in first year FO's. Silver spoon bratty kids with crappy attitudes and no skill to back them up.

- A skill set that you can't offer to another (potentially better) company. You can't "STFD" a bad company, because your just "STFDing" yourself, your family, and your career. Management just moves to another company for a pay raise, you however start all over again in one of lifes most depressing "do overs".

The old saying "If you don't like it, then quit" is a fallacy in aviation. You can't afford to leave a miserable working environment.

In good times where 1000hrs 121 PIC is all that you need the pay scale may be

18000, 25000, 30000, 60000 = $133,000 over four years

thats an average of $33250 per year. Over a 40 hour work week that would be 15 dollars per hour for 4 years. Thats on par with many jobs that require only a high school diploma, and no special skill set.

So unless your a regional lifer, your not benefiting from the major difference between captain and fo pay.
Even if you upgrade in three years, your still only pulling down an average of 30ish thousand for your time

I would have gladly earned less as a Captain on year four to ensure that I didn't have to live in poverty for the first 2. With the ability to make a lateral move and earn a living wage, if you didn't like it... you could just quit.