Pilot Jobs Don't Pay Enough
 

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/27/sam-...00-a-year.html

In the 1970's and 80's airline pilots were among the highest paid professions in the land. The post-deregulation era has cut down wages considerably and benefits have all but disappeared. The economy and inflation are slowly taking swings at compensation as airline pilots are locked in strict and unfavorable contracts. As a result, even the rosiest of airline aspirations are in danger of falling short of being able to provide for a family into the middle class.

Most legacy airline pilot jobs reside in larger urban areas. Real estate and other cost-of-living expenses in those areas are soaring. Currently, it takes a legacy airline captains wage to support a family of four completely into the middle class and the maintenance of that standard is in grave danger.

Legacy airline pilots who read this will have strong objections. They will report that airline pilots are doing well. I ask to remember that most likely you bought your home 20 years ago and possibly are an empty nester. Consider the 32-year-old first officer today who is climbing the massive hill of funding a new family while trying to pay down massive school loans and saving for a home. The median home price in Seattle hit $820,000.

200K is not enough. It takes $300,000 in most urban areas to support a family of 4 into the middle class. The middle class means two adults, two kids, a 2000 square foot home in the suburbs and two ten-year-old cars. No summer homes or maid service.

We are in this condition and have not even seen much inflation yet.

Below is an article from 2014:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...ream/11122015/

Fun is fun but having a life takes money.

Skyhigh

It has been this way for a long time. The only ones who made out were the few lucky enough to hit a hiring boom before 30. All of those guys were very well sponsored golden boys. people are naturally hopeful and tend to believe in things that don't exist. Why else would anyone work for a fraction of the top rates? In any capacity, aviation would be a career of last resort outside of a major airline. Pilots have some hope of career progression, everyone else in the industry is largely pigeon holed. Enough so to make working at a regional an incredibly dumb decision.

If you can't raise a family on $100k, then you are living in the wrong place.

Are you freaking kidding me? Maybe if you have a raging coke habit, or you want to live in Medina...

I fly out of the Seattle area, 2 new cars, an airplane, and enough money to have a decent life. Family of 5, growing kids with school expenditures etc. 401K is getting maxed, and I'm under 200K.

I'd love to make 300K, but to say you can't do it on 200 or less just means you are financially foolish.

They just don't pay enough for a long time. Surviving the lean years is more than the less wealthy kids would knowingly sign up for.

Yes, they are cheaper places to live, and they are cheap for a reason, no one wants to live there.

I've never understood the appeal of wanting to live in some cold s-hole northern city where everything costs 3 times as much (at least), and there is very little privacy or ability to own land or move about on your own, or even have friendly contact with other human beings. I guess these people don't know any better.

Because you don't understand the appeal means people don't know any better? Pretty narrow-mind you have on that head of yours.

I cashed in my Sea Tac house and moved to San Diego 25 years ago. I understand what your saying about some places in Seattle but you can go out a ways and do just fine on $150,000 or less. Still drive to work twice a week. If you can get a job in another profession that pays more I say go for it. Being a pilot is just a crap shoot! Some will be standing in the right spot at the right time and some won’t. Good luck. O I was standing in the right spot by the grace of God.

I'm confident most people from those types of places don't know any better about the world that exists outside of those types of places. Living in an overpriced, filthy, dangerous, cold, confined, statist, horizonless, s-hole when much better alternatives exist is not rational for most, without external factors.