SkyHigh

I was at a party over the weekend with several college students who were about to graduate. I was shocked to discover that most already had jobs waiting and were starting at 50-75K with all the benefits. I thought "man it would take a pilot grad a full ten years after college to earn that much". One of them ironically asked why I wasn't still flying.

SkyHigh

buffalopilot

10 years if you work for Eagle where the upgrade is 8 years!!

NexPilot

Pharmaceutical grads, PTs, nurses, engineers, accountants without CPA, financial analysts, all make 50k starting, some more. They secured their job at least a semester ahead of time. This is good for us young people(maybe not so in the aviation industry) since the economy is on a big rebound on hiring since the .com boom. The progression of pay for some of those professions like the accountant who gets his CPA two years out of college will be a senior management position before 30 making 90k plus, and more in the top firms. My younger brother just graduated and is starting his accounting job at at top firm will be making 55k plus 3 weeks of vacation, usual 401k, and some health benefits. That's the good. The bad is that he will be working 80plus hour work weeks(including Saturdays and possibly Sundays for invidividual audits no joke) for about 4 months out of the year for busy auditing and tax season. So he'll total at most 4 days off each month during those months. The other 7 months he will still be clocking at least 50 hours to build up credit hours to qualify for the CPA as a junior accountant, sorta like time building while flight instructing. He will also bring home work like lawyers do. This will take up two years. He has also has a 4 hour commute total each day to and back. Yes you may get weekends off most of the time but it's not like you go in and work your standard 9-5 and go home. With their salaries they are actually working more than you think sometimes. On the other hand I have another older friend who is finishing up his masters and will be taking on a network security position at the NSA for the gov't. He says he'll be working the cushy standard 9-5 with all the benefits you can imagine starting probably around 60-70k, though he hasn't been told yet. It took home close to two years to get this gig and numerous interviews that many don't pass. That's some of the reality going on in the job market these days. 55k is a lot compared to a first year regional FO but they have their issues to worry about as well. You see it on wall street all the time. They are payed very handsomely but many are working like dogs. This is a very competitive world as I see it.

But with other occupations like teachers in my area, social workers, cops(with exception of state patrol), firefighters, no way do they start out as such high salary.

Clap for my first post!

Flying Ninja

[quote=NexPilot]
But with other occupations like teachers in my area, social workers, cops(with exception of state patrol), firefighters, no way do they start out as such high salary.
[quote]

All those positions you mentioned in NYC get paid more than a starting regional airline pilot. Cops and teachers have pensions that won't disappear either, and no age limitation to when they retire. Although NYC cut starting copy pay to the mid 20's for the first year, it's still more than any regional airline pays, and those cops can make over time, which is where the real money is at anyway. And their schedule isn't bad either.

NexPilot

It's certainly more than a first year regional FO but I was indicating that they don't all make 50k or even 40k starting like other occupations. Teaching salary can be great especially if you go out to the Island away from the city. They're some of the highest payed in the nation there but cost of living certainly drags them down a bit. With the cost of living in nyc very high that first year 25k teaching salary doesn't amount to that much more than the regional FO unless you're at Colgan or Great Lakes. But go out to the Island and it'll be a different story.

buffalopilot

COlgan 1st year is equivalent to other regionals

NexPilot

Yea thanks for the correction. I was under the impression they worked for less than some of the others first year since they operate turboprops, but just checked their payrates and first year pay is similar.

fosters

Absolutely NOT true.

I will make almost $30k including per diem my first year. Colgan guys aren't even CLOSE to that. Second year FO's are making over $40k if they bid to fly (ie not bid reserve on purpose). Credit pay adds up to a lot of credit time over block. Straight hourly isn't a good indicator.

Personally, when I go visit friends or the significant other in offices, I get all choked up just being there. I can't imagine working in one location for an entire day. I'm happy to make less but have practically zero stress on the job. My biggest stress point is timing the employee bus to the parking lot.

Ninja,
Keep in mind teachers, cops, etc. make that much money because their COLA is so high. At a decent regional you can make $25k+ your first year, $40k second and third, and $60-$65k fourth year as the upgrade comes (unless you are at Eagle). And you have a choice of bases and commuting options.

samc

Having done both flying and office work; while getting paid, I'd take the flying anyday. I made about 60K sitting in an office with no windows, sending emails and giving briefings all day. I never want to do that again. So I threw away all the bennies and now I'm going to be begging for a job at 20K. Either way, it is WORK, you might as well do something you remotely enjoy. Oh yeah, I also worked 12-15hr shifts (probably just a little more than most pilots) which means if you add it up you are missing 67%+ of your family life. When I wasn't on shift I worked up to 100 hours a week so I was very happy to move to rotating shifts 3X12 hr days, 3 off then 3x12hr nights on and on. Plus, when I was told to go somewhere for 8 weeks 3 days after my wedding, I went.

Oh, and garbage guys in New York make more money that a lot of highly skilled people around the country. But I probably had more disposable income when I was a cadet on $60 a month.

BURflyer

SkyHigh I realise you get your jollies up by bringing down the pilot profession because you faild but please don't talk about wages. Your point might be understandable if one spends life at the regionals. If you move up to fractionals or major airlines, there is no question that you will be making more than 100k at the least in a few years.