Do you mean what kind of pilot life? airiner? parachuter? CPL pilot? agro? instructor? small or big airport?

 

Whether you choose to enjoy your career and have a great life of challenge and adventure, or whether you find it a miserable experience to be endured, you're right.

 

Been a CFI, worked for a very small regional, a big regional, and now a major. I can say being a CFI was fun, I lived where I wanted to live, created my own schedule and was finally getting paid to do what I loved. Flying for my small regional was a bad, but necessary experience. Lived in bumville North Dakota, stuffed in a 1 bedroom crash pad with 8 other dudes, making below minimum wage, working longer hours than I’ve ever worked. Only time in my career where I second guessed my choice. Then the bigger regional started hiring so I left. Better pay, better schedules, better plane, overall better everything. The pay was still not much but it was at least livable at this point. Then I made it to a major and life has completely changed for the better. As a Line holder, I’ve never had less than 15 days off, or if I bid reserve I can get most weekends and holidays off. Pay is phenomenal. And finally living where I want and feeling settled for the first time in a while.

I’ve seen many people quit this career in the early stages and it’s usually because they can’t make the money work. Luckily I had a sugar mama, and I was young with very few responsibilities. I don’t know if I would be where I am if I had started later in life with a kid when I started. The job itself is like what others have said, it’s what you make of it. Go out with your crew members and explore every place you go, and it’s fun. If you slam click on every layover you’ll be miserable and make others around you miserable.

 

Nothing worse than a slam-clicker on the crew.

 

Sort of depends on the “slam-clicker”, I’d think.

GF

 

After paying the Hertz girl's baby-sitter, I'm not hangin' with the boys.

 

"It's not a job, it's a lifestyle".

True.

It's also not a career. It's a lottery.

Making it to the big leagues says nothing of one's dedication, professionalism or skill.

Some win with a fabulous experience.
Other's will get perpetually screwed over like a red headed stepchild.

Good luck.

 

That should be posted over the entrance at every singles’ bar.

 

It's a job.

It's a career.

That really depends on what you consider the "big leagues" to be.

I've routinely made six figures at times flying a single engine airplane part time, and it has very much been a function of professionalism and skill. Those who relied on luck died, or risked it. Professionalism meant being proactive enough not to rely on luck.

Success in this business has a great deal to do with one's dedication, professionalism, and skill.

 

It's a job. Depending on which part of the industry you're in, there may be an associated lifestyle which is non-traditional and non-avoidable.

It's a career. But there are some risk factors beyond your control which a typical white-collar professional isn't subject to, ie medical issues, and the seniority system. If you're high seniority and your airline gets merged, bought, bankrupt, stagnates, or even your base relocated you can't easily make a lateral move to escape the consequences, you either have to grin and bear it or start over at the bottom of another list. Most other 40-50 something professionals can get another job in the same (often better) pay range if needed or desired.