skyhigh, i think your situation may be more unique than the majority of the working public. My fiance' is a teacher (as we all know, they're underpaid) but her typical schedule is working everyday of the week, when she gets off work, she's at home grading homework assignments from the five classes that she has, she'll basically get friday night off, and can relax all day saturday. On sunday however, she's making plans for the rest of the upcoming week, making tests, and ensuring that she's got all her homework and tests finally graded to be given back to the kids.

Airline pilots on the other hand are getting a minimum of 2 days off work a week (typically) and often 3...and when we're off, we're off...period. A couple co-workers of mine were making comments on their childhood, saying, their fathers worked, and when their father came home from work, they were typically in bed already. On the weekends (when dad wasn't working) he would be working on the home, or trying his best to recover from the long working week. I know that our job can be tiring at times, but, i typically still have the energy to enjoy myself when i get home on those days off, can relax, and when i finally have a family, will be able to spend that time with them.

With your self-employment you get to work when you want, relax when you want, play when you want, and "live the dream". I highly doubt that anyone would say a person wont make more money being self employed versus working for "the man", just about everyone knows that it's true you'll make more money working for yourself than for anyone else. However, you'll often work longer and hard than anyone else also, and if you fail, your failure can be complete (basically, there's a lot riding on the line, and that can be a dangerous place to position your family)

Also, your constant comment on spending $100k on your aviation education shouldn't be a deterrent from becoming a pilot, but should be the clue to stay away from universities and flight academy's that are going to cost you $100,000 to graduate. Heck, my fiance' has $60k in debt for a career which allows her to take home less money than i do every month. And she's the "highly in demand Math teacher" and still had a hard time finding a job. Grass isn't always greener i guess.

Sent :)

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Plumbers, electricians etc. all start out as apprentices for 5 years, making far less. I fail to see your point. Yes you have earning POTENTIAL in the fields you are saying, but you have that same potential as an airline pilot.

For every car salesman making 80k, I'll find you a used car schmo who is feasting on Raman tonight. EVERY field has a range of incomes. I want to find something that has a higher POTENTIAL income and QOL than what I'm doing now, and that I'd enjoy doing. I think a pilot is a good fit because I enjoy it, and I've been able to "beat the odds" through hard work and networking before.

Police in SF make $66K a year but look at the cost of living in California. Thats still nothing compared to what they have to spend on housing, gas and raising a family.

The thing I wouldlike to say about Skyhigh's initial post is that from reading htis post and other airline pilot websits is I see that folks are just centered on being pilots for the rest of their lives. They just want to fly the line. If I do become an airline pilt, I dont just want to be a line pilot for the rest of my life. I would like to eventually be a check airman, chief pilot or management pilot. Thats wher ethe money is. But most people are just content with flying the plane and going home. Dont want the extra headaches.

If I dont become an airline pilot Iwould do something else inaviation like get a masters degree in education and teach aviation at a university or maybe get into law enforcement aviation or maybe get a job with the FAA checking NAV aides. The possibilities are endless when it comes to aviation careers but folks here are stuck on airline flying. One thing I will agree with Skyhigh onis being an airline pilot is not as prestgeous as it used to be but ther eare other pilot careers out there.

Yep, got all my ratings for $27k. Don't know if that's good or bad, but it's a lot less than the oft-mentioned $100k.

whatever you want to say about skyhigh, he does perform a valuable service. The more people he discourages away from being a pilot, the more slots open up for me :D

There are a lot of KoolAid drinkers on this forum...Skyhigh has legitimate points

No, but if the cop is working in a big city they have a huge bullseye on their chest. Of course, the little town cops might sit around in the donut shop but going out in an drug/crime infested area where some gangbanger will shoot me in a second is not my idea of an ideal career. I definitely respect people that do this but you really couldn't pay me enough.

Overtime? You all complain about working too much as it is and now you are talking about the ability to work overtime? Ha ha That's pretty funny. A pilot wanting to work 40 hours a week plus overtime. Excuse me, my stomach is hurting from laughing about that.

Good point. Good point. :D