The pay isn't the problem with a regional career. The problem arises from being a contractor and the major you fly feed for putting out a RFP. The next thing you know your flying is gone to the lowest bidder and you are on the street, looking to start over again somewhere else. If you hit it wrong you may always be in the bottom 5 years of someones seniority list. Hopefully this whole thing will stabilize soon and stop with the musical chairs of feeder flying. I wouldn't mind staying at the regional level, if I could be more sure of these companies being around for the next 20 years.