Maybe - but keep in mind to get a regional job in '85 you had to instruct for 2000-3000 hours, fly freight a year or two, then you might make it to your $10k/yr commuter job. As a captain, you'd be lucky to break $20k. You're doing that for around 2-3 years (1 year upgrade, 1-2 years for Delta to call).

As a first year FO flying a 50 seat RJ, I'll make almost $29k first year, and should be able to crack $40k second year easily. I instructed for about 1.5 years, making $28k with full benefits the last year I instructed. I'll take the way it is now vs. the way it WAS. Yeah, it would be nice to have a major job but lets face it, not everyone made it to the majors. New pilots are actually able to afford to have some form of "life" and save for their retirement (at least we know a pension isn't waiting for us) as a pilot out of flight training these days...

break 40k in second year easily? who do you fly for? Are you counting per diem (you shouldn't cause its "away expenses")? Last time I checked regional FO's max out at around 40k over the course of several years?

Yes I am counting per diem, about $5000 worth. Per diem is INCOME, you are PAID whether you use it or not. I personally pack food. I fly with CA's that pack food. It's income. It's your own fault (not yours personally, just speaking in general) if you have a steak dinner every night and chose to use it as reimbursement. A typical 4-days worth of food cost me $16.50.

When my father goes away on business trips he doesn't get paid per diem. He gets reimbursed. I chose to save per diem and eat healthy.

I've been off reserve now for 3 months, and in those three months I've averaged 96 hours of pay as a junior line holder (89, 98, and 102). Let's transpose that to second year pay of $33.86/hr (assuming we don't get the old contract back of $39/hr), even assume a little less than 96 hours in case I want to take it easy:

$33.86 x 90 hours/month x 12 months = $36,569 base pay
$1.45 per diem (average of $1.40 now and $1.50 come october) x 320 TAFB/month x 12 months = $5568 in per diem

TOTAL = $42,137 in pay

Granted, that's working a lot and only getting 13-14 days off a month. I live in domicile so I'm ok with that. I prefer to work my @ss off now and save for retirement while compond interest can still do its job.