A lot of people from trans states are from the STL area where you can buy a house cheaper than a car. Because a car is more valuable to get out of STL than a house to live in. 35k in that area goes a long way.

 

Not intentionally trying to bash, just trying to figure out the numbers. 35K, after all taxes considered (including SS and medicare). Leaves you about 30K, maybe less. For a family of three, it's too much for government assistance. I can't balance the budget with only the basics included. Basics for me includes a little personal savings, 401K deduction, kids college, mortgage, property tax, utilities, health/life/car insurance, food, clothing, misc kids expenses, misc repair/replacement of necessities.

I guess if you can all that and more on a $35K/yr budget, you must be living like a KING on $52K/yr working for the postal service with good insurance/retirement plans compared to TSA.

Good luck either way.

 

I'm one of those heading back. To all of you who are slamming this industry, I agree that it is unstable. However, with all the mergers, legislated pilot shortages, announced hiring, consolidation of regionals, regionals like republic buying mainline carriers, and regional airlines upgrading to e-jets and MRJs, are you really saying that the airlines will be a worse place to be? Are you serious? All the complaints about this generation and the next being so screwed.... excuse me? The next generation will be doing it's first IOEs on 100 passenger jets instead of flying grand canyon tours and tugging banners. After that jetblue or a legacy is the next move. The legacies are stronger now and hiring while scope improves. Did anybody miss compass giving a full ATP and PIC type to new hires? Or Expressjet consolidating with Skywest and ASA in order to have a shot of keeping the new United's regional flying in the face of declines like those at Comair? Mesa, which was the case-in-point of regional airline decline, ate it and is not getting ahead any more.

Anyone who says that one cannot get ahead in the airline industry is obviously oblivious to the very progression that continues to take place. It will take time, will be less stable than other careers, and involve paying your dues..... but does anyone truly believe you can't work up to a good flying job making $100,000+? Those must be the folks camping on the seniority lists of regionals, afraid to take the next step. There are plenty of folks who even went through the messes at Eastern and others who I personally have seen get on their feet well since then in aviation. And even so... things are getting better.

 

If our postal worker comes on board and then finds himself CA of an MRJ in 2-3 years making the $70k, or moving on to a major and making more, how does that average out against the $50k he would have stayed making? Flying for a living is a gutsy move, as taking to the sky in any capacity has always been, it you want safety and security, contemplate life before V1. Also, remember which generation was responsible for deregulation, the biggest detractor of the airline biz in the history of ever. For those of the new generation with the drive, capacity, and perseverance... there will be better than USPS pay. Who ever planned to stay an FO for 5+ years at a regional???