1st and 2nd Year Net Take Home $$$$

[J.Otto]

trying to convince myself that I should apply for a 121 position now that the regional hiring seems to be picking up. I need to do a cost analysis for a single guy (no dependents)...

I'm looking for the average net take-home pay for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year for the average regional FO at the bottom. This includes your per diem as well. The total you go home with every month/yr...

how long is rsv at your regional

how many hours are you flying a month for rsv and line 1st and 2nd yr.

what did you take home during these years after tax...


Thanks!

 

[Stifler's Mom]

You should only look at 1st and 2nd year Regional pay if you are trying to convince yourself not to apply for a position. :blush:

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

You should only look at 1st and 2nd year Regional pay if you are trying to convince yourself not to apply for a position. :blush:

This...

Too many variables to give accurate figures but first year sucks everywhere. Look at airlinepilotcentral.com for pay rates. Most places have a 75hour guarantee and you'll make roughly anywhere from $200-500ish a month per diem depending on how much you work. Once I held a line as a new guy I was flying 85 hours a month average for a while then picked up to 90+.

Upgrade and reserve time just depends. I was told two year upgrade as a new guy, I'm in upgrade now 6+ years later. Things change so quick you just never know. But the money isn't great starting out that's for sure.

If you need convincing to get into it you'll probably be miserable when you get here. I've been pretty happy the last 6.5 years. Yes being an FO so long sucked but I did have 17 days off a month working Wed-friday 3 day trips for as long as I can remember. Get a side job or a wife that makes a good living for those early years.

 

[kf4amu]

Piedmont I made 36 my first year, 44 my 4th year. Won't make much more than this til I upgrade. Holding a line I make 95 hours plus. Schedules suck unless you live in base. At least 300 hours time away from base per month with 200 hours on duty. Add commuting and you are gone from home 400 hours a month.

The only saving grace is that the pay is better than more other commuter airlines as an FO. I know there are a couple who pay more but it comes out in the wash with work rules and starting pay taken into account. Captain pay sucks, but who wants to stay at Piedmont as a Captain their whole life? Oh wait...2/3 of the Captain list appararently.

 

[jetracer5]

I am in year 5 and I dont fly much more than 75hrs but take home about $2,400 month after Taxes, 401k, medical etc

 

[dodgerk]

Skywest: net year 1 = 22,000. Year 2= 43,000. Year 3 = 51,000. Year 4 = 61,000

Still an FO on reserve in SLC but am a line holder next month. Flying about 70 hours per month or around 17 days of work. Average about 95 hours of credit. Chop off about $8000 from the above figures for years 2-4 to get my after tax pay.

I am happier than most but pretty easy going and optimistic. I live in domicile and don't mind reserve. After 4 years I have learned to work the system pretty well.

I left corporate aviation flying a Hawker and have not regretted it. Good luck!

 

[777forever]

Take home are hard to figure because everyone has different benefits plans (401k, medical, etc). I'll just throw my figures out there. ASA. 1st yr I took home on avg $1400 a month including per diem on reserve. 2nd to 3rd year took home $2500 a month on avg on reserve. 4th year finally as a line holder take home $3300 on avg flying around 100 hrs credit. 401k set to 6%, single, no kids. Add on avg $150 each quarter for performance bonus. There's profit sharing too but wouldn't count on that way things are going.

 

[Pasturepilot]

Tell ya what. Instead of net, here's gross. My first full year at the airline formerly known as ASA (that included one pay check on second year pay) I made a total of $20194.04 in wages and $1600 in per diem. Knock out about a third for deductions and you'll have a good idea of why it's important to come into this job with low debt and low cost of living.

That year was 2008. I never broke guarantee. Pay has gone up about 3 percent since then with the yearly allowances but it's not enough to bother calculating.

 

[J.Otto]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm going to need at least $2000 - $2300/month take home to meet the basics. It sounds like things improve a lot by your third year. But the first year is really really bad. I have some savings which should help ease the burden at least for the better part of my first year.

Ive looked at the published pay scales and they would leave you to believe that you progressively gross $23K, $24K, 25K, 27K, for the first 4-5 yrs (not incld per diem). That is pretty scary. I needed a realistic take home sense of what I need to be prepared for, and I think some side biz will come in handy. Something that can yield at least $500 a month extra, which seems feasible. Its also encouraging to know I can fly an extra 10-20 hours on top of guarantee.

Piedmont I made 36 my first year, 44 my 4th year. Won't make much more than this til I upgrade. Holding a line I make 95 hours plus. Schedules suck unless you live in base. At least 300 hours time away from base per month with 200 hours on duty. Add commuting and you are gone from home 400 hours a month.

The only saving grace is that the pay is better than more other commuter airlines as an FO. I know there are a couple who pay more but it comes out in the wash with work rules and starting pay taken into account. Captain pay sucks, but who wants to stay at Piedmont as a Captain their whole life? Oh wait...2/3 of the Captain list appararently.

kf4amu,

Wow, that's pretty good pay first year. I would be happy with 36 net or gross on 1st yr rsv. Is that still average 1st yr salary these days at PDT? Living in base would not be an issue as Im willing to, just to save on commuting expenses and time.

What are PDTs hiring goals for the year and whats their training dept like... are people getting time and moving to RJs or are they happy on the Dash... whats upgrade time... at least 4 yrs or has that changed? Any info on them would be appreciated.

 

[kf4amu]

kf4amu,

Wow, that's pretty good pay first year. I would be happy with 36 net or gross on 1st yr rsv. Is that still average 1st yr salary these days at PDT? Living in base would not be an issue as Im willing to, just to save on commuting expenses and time.

What are PDTs hiring goals for the year and whats their training dept like... are people getting time and moving to RJs or are they happy on the Dash... whats upgrade time... at least 4 yrs or has that changed? Any info on them would be appreciated.

I'm sorry I put gross and you asked for net. I think gross is a better indication of earnings though. Today it's probably 1-2 lower. That 36k included a 5000 dollar signing bonus, but the pay rates have increased a couple bucks to 27ish IIRC for the first year. Also I was only on reserve for 2 months.

PDT has no goals. They have no plans for fleet replacement and our oldest Dashes start cycling out next year. I like the training department personally, but lots of people don't. IMO if you work hard and have a good attitude you will do just fine, but if you show your ass and expect them to teach you instead of learning yourself, you will not do well. I fly with many of the instructors on the line when they aren't training and they are good people.
I've heard of a couple people making lateral moves, but mostly people stay or move up to better jobs. Everyone loves the airplane except for the air conditioning system in the summer. Couple dozen of our guys have gone to the sandbox to make 150k flying the same plane for 6 months of the year. Airways just hired at least 6 PDT captains out of the last 40 openings they had...pretty good percentage if you ask me, so lets hope they continue this ratio in the next classes they have. Upgrade is just under 5 years, as it is probably everywhere else.

Living in base on reserve is almost a requirement, and we have low cost of living bases, although be ready for them to close it at any time. 2 base closures in 4 years.

If I had to do it again, I'd still go to PDT. The Dash is an incredible plane and you get to do things with it you can't do anywhere else. I had very little experience when I was hired so it's nice to be able to have some fun before I go to something completely automated and boring. First year pay was better than anywhere else by a wide margin. Management of this company is very substandard, so don't expect any support or favors if you need anything.

 

[UnstableAviator]

Chq, CA, 135 pay, grossed 58,510. 7 year payscale, less than a skywest FO apparently. Never more than 13days off a month, impossible to drop anything. In other words, don't even think about working for an RAH carrier. Our soft pay rules are worse than the actual pay scale.

 

[SpaceShipEarth]

Don't forget when you look at first year pay that the first couple months is training pay at 300 a week or so. You only make your "salary" for maybe 8-9 months of your first year. I was hired in January my first year... Net for that year was just under 16K

 

[JettBoii]

The pay sucks period. 6 year f/0. Netted 42k. 1250 on guarantee check and 2500 on the above guarantee with per diem. That's with 107 of credit.

 

[rtmcfi]

For a rough guesstimate, hourly wage x1000 = your annual pay.

 

[Raskal]

Not sure where you're coming from, but I left a 91k/91 gig for a regional spot. I lost money doing it, that's for sure, but for my personal situation the having a schedule in advance has made a huge difference in my life, even though it costs at least $30k a year in pay.

I live in base though, which is a pretty major factor.

 

[nerjdriver]

Tell ya what. Instead of net, here's gross. My first full year at the airline formerly known as ASA (that included one pay check on second year pay) I made a total of $20194.04 in wages and $1600 in per diem. Knock out about a third for deductions and you'll have a good idea of why it's important to come into this job with low debt and low cost of living.

That year was 2008. I never broke guarantee. Pay has gone up about 3 percent since then with the yearly allowances but it's not enough to bother calculating.

Hm on the other side:

1st: 37.5

2nd: 57.7

 

[wt219200]

Hm on the other side:

1st: 37.5

2nd: 57.7

Wow. What was your average credit for that? I'm guessing you're not a commuter?

 

[Jackie Moon]

Skywest: net year 1 = 22,000. Year 2= 43,000. Year 3 = 51,000. Year 4 = 61,000

Still an FO on reserve in SLC but am a line holder next month. Flying about 70 hours per month or around 17 days of work. Average about 95 hours of credit. Chop off about $8000 from the above figures for years 2-4 to get my after tax pay.

I am happier than most but pretty easy going and optimistic. I live in domicile and don't mind reserve. After 4 years I have learned to work the system pretty well.

I left corporate aviation flying a Hawker and have not regretted it. Good luck!

You must really be working.

4th year pay rate is 39

61,000 / 39 = 1564 Credit hours / 12 months =

130 hours of credit a month

or if you only fly the 900

61,000 / 43 = 1418 Credit hours / 118 Credit hours a month

I need to know how to get this because I would be making 112,000 a year
on reseve

 

[777forever]

You must really be working.

4th year pay rate is 39

61,000 / 39 = 1564 Credit hours / 12 months =

130 hours of credit a month

or if you only fly the 900

61,000 / 43 = 1418 Credit hours / 118 Credit hours a month

I need to know how to get this because I would be making 112,000 a year
on reseve

Pretty sure he's including per diem. I made 54k at ASA last year including per diem on 4th yr pay

 

[damnflyboy]

I make 7 Starbucks a year.