Originally Posted by bryris

Most of the compensation is the satisfaction of doing the job. As a whole, the pilot population would swim laps in a pool of #$@* to continue to fly airplanes for a living because "it beats working", has an awe factor when you tell your friends, the ladies dig it - all of the above.

Accordingly, the ranks will still be filled and lines out the doors if pay was cut even more. Pilots do this job because they love it - then once in, they'll talk about how important pay is. But pay is a secondary concern to most new entrants. Just getting a jet job is the primary success.

Major pilots are paid fairly well. But, even if they weren't, they'd still stick around because after that investment, there is little ability to start over in another career path.

Pilots are their own worse enemies.