Check out this article and calculator (at the bottom). If you look at the required loan payments for some of the Big Box University programs, there is no way to eat and pay the loan on regional F/O salary. Again, preaching to the choir, but with pilots willing to start at wages that qualify them for food stamps - we are the problem.

Airline Pilot Central - Handling College Loan Repayment

 

Not Even Close Bud - YouTube

Yes, I am on the CA's paycheck, but NOT at 18 year longevity. I personally charge my friends with shooting me if I EVER make it to that regional pay level.

Without going on a long and worn out diatribe, don't live beyond your means, EVER. Doesn't matter if your a 40k/year FO or a 240k/yr FX/UPS CA.

As alluded to, I grew up blue collar and worked service type stuff through high school/college. Paid for everything myself. Many financial lessons learned. Which just simply means that after my humble financial obligations are met, I have disposable/discretionary income to spend. Like tipping a van driver more on a holiday, buying beers for the crew on the overnight or the coffee in the morning, etc. As opposed to a giant mortgage, filling that giant mortgaged house with crap I don't even need, paying a stupid payment on a car that's not worth it, having the latest and shiniest phone/laptop/tablet, etc.

Am I or do I consider myself some kind of financial genius? Hardly, just lessons learned from an early age, that's all. So I guess I'm lucky.

1) That paycheck can be here today, and gone tomorrow. It's happened to me, multiple times. Plan accordingly.
2) When, NOT if, but when the chance comes to go to the carrier I want to finish out my career at comes, I'm not being held back by what in most (but not all cases) is a hefty pay cut in year 1, and possibly year 2 and 3 as well.

Probably not, as my flying didn't start taking me there till the 2005 time frame. As well as so far my company has used 3 different hotels in OKC since then. Rest assured, you would have go it.

 

I did notice that all the non aviation jobs used in comparision were all government jobs. Not sure about the ferry captain. Just think they probably don't have to contribute anything or very little toward their medical and retirement also. We all already knew government jobs are the place to be. Now of course the state of California isn't doing all that well financially. We will see how those jobs pay in the future.

 

....TSA employees
....bus drivers
....janitors
....train conductors
....cab drivers
....plumbers
....a lot of other people

 

You hit the nail on the head. We changed our lifestyle drastically. No cable tv, no eating out, no GOING out! It was tough at first but when you realize you are living on virtually one income and actually SAVING money, it's worth it.

 

JOB (AIRLINES IN BOLD)5-YEAR PAYCalifornia Highway Patrol - with OT$105,185California Highway Patrol - no OT$90,185SamTrans bus operator$58,656Berkeley city solid waste worker (garbage collector)$57,672U.S. mail carrier$47,732Horizon Air (Alaska Airlines) $44,500SkyWest Airlines (Delta Connection/United Express)$37,666Mesaba Airlines (Frontier Airlines)$37,250Republic Airlines (Frontier Airlines)$37,000Mesa Airlines (US Airways Express) $30,500



Look at the jobs that pay the best. They're all tax payer funded jobs!!!!! It's the same here in Canada, where librarians are making over 100K!!!

 

It's a good article, I like it. It's nothing new or ground-breaking to those of us already in the industry, however, the more this information is disseminated to the general public, the better.

 

Why should they expect more pay? They have no experience. Flying a 121 jet aircraft should be reserved for those holding ATP's. It doesn't say Captain Transport Pilot... It says Airline Transport Pilot.

When the entry level experience level changes, I'm sure pay will too. There will be some bump up for pilot shortage, but in most cases reducing frequency and increasing capacity will cover the shortage short term.

However, by then the ATA will sell the idea of MPL to congress and pay will tank again.

 

Took me a couple of years to figure out why the rabbit was chasing the carrot sticks but a better understanding of this industry is allowing me to agree with you 100 percent. Fly because you like it or you value its potential as a hobby as oppose to making a living performing those operations.

 

Mason,

I think you're at Eagle so I have to wonder......do you really think ank ATP will make a difference in pay? AMR has stated that they want to put their regional lift out for bid.

So if let's say GoJets which has a relatively junior pilot group wants to bid on that flying, it will be very difficult to meet their offer. Also, I hear a lot of people say that part of the reason the industry is sinking has to do with the cheap ticket prices. But I submit that management would still whipsaw the regionals and take bigger bonuses if people were paying top dollar.

I also worry that if this "pilot shortage" ever materialized that we would have a crisis in the making and cabotage would be the answer.

So what are we willing to do about it?

HSLD asked that question but I don't think any of us have a clue.

I guess we all have to have our own personal line that when it's crossed we move onto greener pastures.