JohnBurke

The premise of the thread, an old thread, is that pilots ae underpaid; it was a lie at the time, and remains so.

No one has suggested in any way, shape, or form, that we should not "raise the bar."

However, pilots are paid better today, by orders of magnitiude, than ever before; even far, far, better than just a few years ago.

There is no pilot shortage. There is a temporary bubble of prosperity; an artificial one wrought on by effects of the pandemic and the subsequent rebound. That's all it is. Wages will not decrease as a result, but regardless of inflation, regardless of anything else, if one can't make it on two hundred grand, it's a personal problem. The vast majority of people in the country manage to do it on far, far less.

This does not mean that one should not strive for a successful career and to secure a good retirement, but it's very hard to by sympathetic when the rich man is crying in his champaigne, and to suggest that one cannot own a house, or a car, or have a family on less than two hundred thousand is pathetic and idiotic, and indicative of silver spoon poisoning.

60av8tor

No problem with any of that. I just try to not over-inflate those things compared to family, friends, and acquaintances who make far less while doing much more difficult jobs. I've flown with people, both as a CA and FO, that make this job a lot more difficult than it needs to be. I feel like sometimes they confuse their own stress level with the difficulty and importance of the job.

In no way do I take things lightly. I try to be the best I can be every leg of every day (which isn't too often these days&#128514. But I realize that I'm a part of the equation with tons of fellow employees assisting each other: front, back, over/under wing. I'm not the Lone Ranger making it all happen on my shoulders alone. I guess it's all perspective on previous experiences/jobs, but from my current perspective it's a very canned environment with many variables removed - kinda the point.

I'm quite a bit closer to the end than the beginning of my working years. I reflect a lot and come up with the same conclusion each time: I thank God I'm able to have such a straight-forward job where I'm able to make an incredible amount vs the work I'm required to do.

I'm just not sure how to do this making > 1/4 mil/year working 8-10ish days/month. Seriously though, I fall on the side of trying to hide what I make for how little I work. I wish I could share my wife's eye roll when I read this last quote to her😂

followingdreams

This right here! I like how people try to justify we dont make enough, why? Because the long hours, being away from family, how expensive our training is, etc etc. Money doesnt solve the issue of being away from family (and if $200k per year doesnt make the other half happy, nothing will!). Training costs? Cheaper than most good 4 year colleges! Most people fly because its the coolest job in the world (for those with a passion for it) and think back to when you first got started and you were willing to do it for peanuts (and I mean paying the peanuts to anyone who would let you fly with them!). Lets not get jaded always wanting more, you start to look like the stereotypical angry pilot who forgets that everyone envys the job we have. We dont have to act angry and always complain. Lets be grateful for what we have!

PipeMan

it’s fine to be grateful, but if more pilots had your mindset that something is “good enough”, then we would not have the contracts we have today. I’m not saying we’re paid peanuts, but it is “fair” based on the work we do. We are absolutely compensated with QOL/work rule improvements because we are taken away from home.

I’m not angry or bitter, but we must stay vigilant not only in our operation and SOP’s, but of our compensation and rewards that we have earned. You really need to think this way or all is lost.

followingdreams

I will never refer to pay as "fair" because that would mean you can some how justify it and if that is the case and you think the current income is "fair" then you think raises are not necessary. If someone wants to pay a ditch digger $500k per year to dig ditches, is that "fair"? I would not give up flying to make $500k to dig ditches. Dont get me wrong, in this profession, just like EVERY profession, the labors job is to make as much as they can and managements job is to pay them as little as they can. Its the meeting of the minds that makes market rates. There is also a point of diminishing returns, when labor becomes the barrier to a successful business, other options become cheaper.

PipeMan

We are not paid enough as major airline pilots PERIOD.

jumppilot

This post is the correct attitude.

When I started, back in 2003, I thought I made a grave mistake. My starting pay was $17,000 a year, sharing a 3 bedroom with 5 other pilots. Meanwhile, my tech friends started at $50,000.

Now, we make enough money, that given decent financial choices, you will be wealthy given enough time.

I’ll always take more money, but as a mid-career senior major FO, the money I have coming in allows me to make financial choices that will set me up.

For example, my money market account alone throws off more interest than I made my first year as an FO.

I blocked 480 hours last year and made over $300,000. But it was paid in quarters and that really ****ed me off.

TransWorld

Who do you work for? I thought you worked for one of the three majors.

PipeMan

Yes I fly for a Legacy. That doesn't mean I think we are paid too much or even appropriate for the work we do. I love to fly as much as the next guy, but the compensation needs to continue to increase. If we are not vigilant, we could go backwards in wages in a big way.

geosync

Mid to low 6 figures is at the top end of the salary scale outside of tech, which is in line with what physicians make. Yes Big Law attorneys can make much more, finance can make much more. But that's about it if you are a run of the mill employee for a corporation in America. If you want to make big money as an employee, work in tech as a programmer, finance or Big Law. Otherwise you'll need to be your own boss by starting or taking over and expanding a business. The sweetest planes on the GA ramp are owned by small and medium owners of construction companies, contractors, real estate firms, maunfacturing firms, etc.

They can't fit their Citations, Kodiaks, and Carbon Cubs in their hangars because their Ford Raptors, jet skis and speed boats are in there and their wives won't let them keep the toys at their McMansions.