Maybe someone should have read it to you. At what point are you responsible for your decisions? Having a kid is a decision, just like spending your money on hookers and jet skis is a decision. I don’t think one is any more or less responsible than the other they’re just choices. My kids are taught that their decisions have consequences, what do you teach your kids? The world doesn’t owe you a raise

Wow, classless

Like expecting people/company/society to kick in because you had a kid? I guess there are always takers.

Negative, tax benefits.

#SkyBest will take guys with a longevity match if things are truly that bad here. I'm sure anyone in their defacto crew room at the base of the ORD G concourse can square folks away on questions.

Play the long game.

I don't even have kids, I want to get paid a living wage for doing a professional job. I don't understand pilots that constantly work against themselves. I think there's a phrase for that, blue falcon?

Company to kick in because he had a kid? I think he just expects the company to pay him enough to afford a kid. That’s not asking much. We sound like a pack of peasants, which we are.

I’m not against pay raises, but I am against crappy emotional reasoning. We should be paid at levels at or above that of our peers. Full stop. Breaking out the saucer eyed baby pics does nothing to strengthen that argument, it weakens it.

I don’t think you have a clue about the point I’m making. Simply put the average FO will bring home 2500. 99% will make between 2-3k per month take home.

I’m not following here. Are you saying having wife and kid is a poor life choice?

You got one right about no wife, kids or life outside of work. Just one of those.
I'm also older than you are.

You got the numbers you asked for. The fact that you choose to deduct more from your paycheck is a personal choice. No state income tax in TX helps too.

To me - this is the time to work my ass off. Any 175 FO can do what I'm doing - at least for now. I've posted so many comments about the fact that my posts are only valid for 175 FO's I think they are going out of fashion, or something. The latest 175 NH's will likely have a different experience with the displacements coming up.

Fly a lot, get your time, and GTFO from a regional. For DFW guys who are lucky enough to get the 175, it's a good deal. That's all I've ever said.

99% of what?

Looking at the next 10 days of 175 FO OT pickups, both bases. You will see a few names doing very productive flying. It's good to be at the top.

Junior FO's can make decent money too - we just work 2-3 days more than our EDV/YX/SW friends.

It is if you can’t afford it. Having a kid is hard, it’s harder when you’re broke. Just like buying a house that’s 80% of your take home is a poor choice, having a stay at home spouse and then having a child is a poor choice. What’s so confusing about that? Your entry level job isn’t supposed to support your wife and kids. How much do you think an entry level marketing person makes out of college? I promise you they don’t get the days off and QOL a pilot gets.

If you took this job then had a kid, you made a choice. If you had a kid and took this job, you made a choice. If you can’t make ends meet then you made a poor financial choice.

Who said I couldn’t afford it?? What are you talking about?

Lol see you are still lost in this conversation. I’m probably the only one here who thinks we get compensated fairly. Is it below industry standards? YES. It’s a decent wage and more than enough to live off.

Since I can’t say what I want to say, you're a real piece of work.

That entry level marketing job probably starts at 55-65k, with weekends and holidays off, a real 401k match, 2 weeks of vacation that can be used sporadically, and the peace of mind knowing that your second year salary won't be less.

I have done both careers - and even though I get off 3 more days a month, it sure does not feel that way; between commuting, late finishes, and early starts.

Don’t confuse one top salary for the industry standard, $60k (BTW what a year 1 FO makes with bonuses) is above the mean. They also can’t turn 1 week off into three, answer emails at all hours, and don’t get paid OT. Anyone who doesn’t think our gig is better than a corporate cubical job is delusional.

You knew where the bases were when you took the job right? Commuting is a choice and another poor argument. I’ve moved for jobs, adjusted my lifestyle for less money and more happiness, as well as delayed having kids until I could financially/emotionally support them. Maybe it’s generational but the idea that you have no choice in these matters (where you live, when you marry or have kids) is a crippling mental distortion.

Look, should we be compensated at or above industry standards? Yes, but that’s really the only argument that holds any sway. At the end of the day the problem is amateur negotiators dealing with unreliable management. The raises will come.

Not you, the royal you like the ones complaining about not making enough to support their kids. You asked if having kids was a poor choice. If you can’t afford them the answer is yes.