This is the biggest part of the problem. The flying public is unaware of this situation. When I tell people that I will gross less than 40K this year I have had some people say, "You mean 140K, right?"

I tell them the truth.

But the general public thinks we earn a lot, don't work much, the airplane flies itself, we have lots of cute flight attendants, all have long paid vacations, etc.

Most of them simply don't comprehend that a new F/O on a jet aircraft these days earns around 20K, give or take. It just goes right over their head.

Eventually the pendulum will swing in our favor because the pilot factory flight schools will no longer be able to recruit suckers to do this job. The shortage is starting, but it will take a while 'til we feel the benefits of that shortage.