How is it that some heavy jet cargo airlines manage to pay very high salaries for pilots while others pay the standard rate at the most?

Profit margins.
You get what you negotiate in contracts.
When you push around the big iron at UPS or FedEx, you should be pulling down some jack. You deserve it. No need to explain.

Pax carrier pilots have no leverage due to the courts and lack of support in D.C. Smaller cargo outfits can't afford large payrolls. Blah blah blah. Dude, it's basic economics and cajones. Big bucks because of big balls. Questions?

Don't let some Economics major go off on a rant to distort the facts either. It is what it is. The Company makes bucks, you've got balls, you end up with a pretty choice W-2. No apologies.

I could go on and on. But I won't.

NKA

Great reply Nokoolaid!

Good ‘Handle’! I really hated the Koolaide swillers. They messed things up for the rest of us pro-labor types . .time after time.

You should consider a part time job teaching Economics at your local JC <g>

I NEVER was ashamed to cash the pay-check because the productivity of the individual pilot at FredEx was/is PHENOMINAL . . compared to the majors. We were/are seriously underpaid for the amount of revenue we generate for the corp.

I won’t even get into the back side of the clock flying and deleterious effects of disrupting Circadian Rythems. During contract negotiations we tried to point out that some of the majors get night override for flying in the dark! They laughed!

What's the standard rate?

For what?

You got your ‘Probationairy’ pay

2nd year pay

F/O Narrowbody pay

F/O Widebody pay

Captain Narrowbody pay

Captain Widebody pay

+ annual step raises to about year 12 or so

Probably missing something, because I am old and decrepit and the FAA says unfit to operate commercial jet aircraft, but, am also sure there is a LINK on Kit Darby’s web site somewhere that the more current people can point you to that lists everyone’s pay, as it is public record. That’s how the public comes to the conclusion that we‘re overpaid, oversexed and under worked.