You can't just factor in monthly guarantee as your only pay there is per diem too even though it doesn't equate to much more. At any rate I can stand by and wait for the day to get laid off all the while hating my job more an more or possibly have my hourly salary completely taken away and work on straight commission. Or I can be proactive with my aviation career and do what I really want to do which is fly. I can hack it through first yr pay and build my time so that when it gets better I'm in a better situation.