The Juice

I see. It is like making a 6oz steak look bigger by placing it on a smaller plate.

UASIT

How low is the pay?

usmc-sgt

absurdly low for most...


Think of a salary in your head that you would consider VERY low for the job we do, the actual number will be less than that.

I have never had anyone correctly guess my salary or even come close.

On overnights I like to play the who makes more money than me game with everyone I encounter.

Ramp crew- check
Gate agent- check
tsa- check
van driver- check
hotel front desk clerk- check
hostess at applebees- check
entire staff at applebees- check
hotel cleaning staff- check

Diver Driver

$18,000/year.

Cargo Man

With slow or no chance of moving up, whats the bailout rate?

usmc-sgt

The bailout rate seems to be less than maybe 5 pilots per 100 every year give or take.

No one is bailing out because there is nowhere to go.

Cargo Man

That can be tuff.
Wouldn't be a bad idea to start a small or part time business on your off days.
I do handyman work on my off days. Makes me fell better knowing I can do something else if I want to.Try anything that fits your interest.

Youtube can be a good source to learn a new skill for free.

PA31

Skywest year 1 FO (any equipment) is $19800. Yr 2 CRJ FO is $31,500 and goes up slowly from there. Expect 5-10 YEAR upgrades in the CRJ and making around $60,000 as a 5 year CRJ Captain. Zero attrition and the promise of upward mobility has created stagnation among the ranks. **All pay is based on flying guarantee pay only.

I'm one of the lucky ones; I got hired on the front end of a boom and gained seniority quickly. My seniority puts me on the best equipment/schedules but I never quite held CRJ captain. For me, and most others there is a promise of a payday at mainline that makes logging SIC CRJ time worth it.

Ottopilot

Most people go to to the regionals because it beat what they were doing. Flight instruction: less days off and less pay.
Cargo: single or multiengine, bad hours, low pay.
Banner tow, traffic watch, skydivers, etc.
It can be better than some corporate jobs (like in my case).

Looking at the majors, the regionals are bad. Looking at these other jobs, the regionals seem much better. It's all relative. The regional should be a stepping stone to the better jobs. Right now its not, due to no hiring.

dosbo

Unfortunately, as long as regional pilots are willing to fly larger and larger aircraft for reduced wages there will be no significant hiring at the majors and the regional life will be a career destination. I think management at the major level fully intends to continue with scope erosion untill all flying is done by outsourced companies flying the livery of an airline that no longer employs it's own pilots.

Every time a regional pilot group agrees to fly larger and larger aircraft at lower and lower rates to be competive in the whipsaw game they are removing the very jobs from the majors that they hope to move to someday. Quite a catch 22.

If you fly for a regional you need to start negotiating contracts and pay rates as if you are going to be there a very long time, where you are at may just be your retirement airline, choose carefully.

It is up to major pilots to hold the line on scope erosion and even take some back if at all possible. It is up to regional pilots to increase thier pay rates and costs so that it is more adventageous to have thier flying done at the major level. Until we decide what our value is worth as a group we all will continue to be undercut by the person willing to wh@#e themselves out in order to gain experience to move on, but is too short sighted to see they are cutting thier own throat and will likely never make it to a major.

Good luck to all those currently just entering this profession (used loosely) with visions of a glamorous lifestyle making a profesional income. If regional pay rates are your idea of professional pay you will be quite satisfied. If you are not willing to retire at the rates of the regional you are considering working for you should not take the job because you may be there much longer than you expect.