1st year as a Regional FO

[shon7]

I've heard about the salary for a 1st year FO at the regionals. However, if one is earning $18K gross -- how much do you actually get per month (after taxes and other deductions). Also, is the pay period biweekly or how is it computed?

Finally, any tips on preparing for the 1st year at the regionals -- in terms of changing eating habits, buying habits, living etc.

 

[Air Biscuit]

I've heard about the salary for a 1st year FO at the regionals. However, if one is earning $18K gross -- how much do you actually get per month (after taxes and other deductions). Also, is the pay period biweekly or how is it computed?

Finally, any tips on preparing for the 1st year at the regionals -- in terms of changing eating habits, buying habits, living etc.

Eat when you can, sleep when you can and plan on being broke. Not just the first year either.

 

[WillFlyFoCookie]

You'll have to learn to live very cheap. It certainly helps if you can bank some of the per deim you get for overnights. Bring food with you on trips so you're not going out to eat all the time. This may mean that your eating tuna out of a can in your hotel room instead of having steak and beers at Outback Steakhouse. You may also be viewed as a little anti social by the rest of the crew but sometimes that's the sacrifices we make. I'm sure by now you're used to making sacrifices for this career. Good Luck.

 

[AbOvo]

When I was a new hire we had packages of cashews and almonds on the airplanes. I was tearing through those things non-stop on my trips.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

I've heard about the salary for a 1st year FO at the regionals. However, if one is earning $18K gross -- how much do you actually get per month (after taxes and other deductions). Also, is the pay period biweekly or how is it computed?

Finally, any tips on preparing for the 1st year at the regionals -- in terms of changing eating habits, buying habits, living etc.

Hey,
First year atSkywest, Jan-Dec, paid during training 14k gross, net?
About 375.00perpay check after deductions and taxes.
The snackmix is good for 2-3meals aday. I only had the electricity turned off once and the water 3 times.
Run don't walk to home depot.
PBR

 

[WyoHerkdriver]

Find a girlfriend/wife who will financially support your "hobby" - or plan on sharing a crash pad with about a dozen other starving pilots. Seriously, I would think long and hard about becoming an airline pilot these days. I hate to "rain on your parade", but it is not that great of a profession anymore.

 

[sleeve]

or atleast go to a regional that doesn't cave in so they can get some growth so they can upgrade so they can go nowhere since only a couple "bigger" airlines are hiring these days..

 

[relief tube]

Here's a good way to estimate how much you make, including perdiem, and overtime. Take your hourly rate and multiply it by a grand. You make 22 and hour, you're making about 22,000 a year, before tax. As for take home money, take about 1500 off that total, and divide it by 12 for your monthly purse.

And that's just flying 75 hours. Bid busier lines or volunteer for work on days off, and you're doing better. Sure it's tough if you're living on your own and still have loans to pay off, but you have to be realistic :

Dont be the idiot with the decent car on first year FO pay. Drive a POS, eat cheap, and if you can stand it, live at home for the first couple months as you plan on how you can survive on your own. And if you smoke, drink a lot, and like buying a lot of crap you don't need, maybee have a kid with a wife that doesn't work, good luck. That's just gonna make it worse.

On trips, limit yourself to buying 1 meal a day. Bring food for the rest. And you don't have to be anti-social like they said, I still join my crews for lunch. Just cuz you don't have a tray in front of you doesn't mean you can't join 'em.

The people who piss on this job all the time are the ones who normally commute, are too proud to adjust their living to their income, and don't love flying enough to at least not b-itch about the job all the time.

You gotta know what you're signing up for. If you're aware of the way it's going to be, which is what you're trying to do with this question, then at least there wont be any surprises.

 

[Cosmo1999]

how bout just swallowing your pride and living at home until you can upgrade to captain. Everyone knows you dont really make any good money until you upgrade. So just beg your parents to hold off the golden years a bit longer. personally I like eating good meals so this is what I do. you can live home, have a cheap crashpad if your folks dont live near where you work and there you have it. By the way though by the time you are done with all this the parents will probably change their locks and be begging you to just let them enjoy their golden years but hey we all have to make sacrifices right?

 

[Vik]

Use your time working on your ratings/certs to find something to do on the side .. Ebay, something on the net, whatever.

If you haven't figured it out .. the business is fickle, you should always have something running on the side.

I've heard about the salary for a 1st year FO at the regionals. However, if one is earning $18K gross -- how much do you actually get per month (after taxes and other deductions). Also, is the pay period biweekly or how is it computed?

Finally, any tips on preparing for the 1st year at the regionals -- in terms of changing eating habits, buying habits, living etc.

 

[NickASA]

First year at ASA

It's about 900 after all of the deductions at ASA. Thankfully my girlfriend loves me so I have a crash pad and then stay with her. It's not that bad, if you want to make it work, you can.

 

[Lequip]

Just do like every other entry level pilot does......

#1 Sell out the industry bu taking a job with such sub standard wages.

#2 Be thrilled to death you are flying for an airline.

#3 Enjoy the novelity of the job while it lasts.

#4 Start Bitzchin about how under paid you are knowing g0d darn well what the friggin pay was when you sold out your peers by taking your job.

#5 Walk around pizzed off and disgruntled and complain about how people working at McDonalds and Home Depot are making more than you.

#6 All the while you are stuck in a dead end job in an industry that isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[stb]

One other thing to remember....

most majors as you know them most likely wont be hiring off the street for the next 5 years or so.
Each of the airlines have over a thousand pilots on the street and would take over a year to recall and train them again. I think there are around 10,000 pilots on furlough from major airlines then throw in thousands more if USAir or/and United start selling off assets. Delta goes into bankrupcy.

Retirerments will play a big part in getting pilots called back but back in the 90's, alot of airlines had pilots on the street and didn't replace the retired pilots with the ones on furlough.

Just prepare for a 5-7 year career regional airline stepping stone to the "heavy iron" airlines.

Not trying to paint a glome and doom but most younger pilots plan on a year or less as a regional f/o then upgrade to Captain, get the 1000 hours PIC then have the major airline of your choice.

 

[shamrock]

First year at ASA I took home about $1200-$1300 a month after taxes depending on how much I was abused by scheduling.

I could pay my bills but I had to depend on my parents, sister (the successful one in the family), or girlfriend for any luxuries.

 

[BoilerUP]

Just do like every other entry level pilot does......

#1 Sell out the industry bu taking a job with such sub standard wages.

#2 Be thrilled to death you are flying for an airline.

#3 Enjoy the novelity of the job while it lasts.

#4 Start Bitzchin about how under paid you are knowing g0d darn well what the friggin pay was when you sold out your peers by taking your job.

#5 Walk around pizzed off and disgruntled and complain about how people working at McDonalds and Home Depot are making more than you.

#6 All the while you are stuck in a dead end job in an industry that isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Thank you, Lequip, for your insight, kind words and encouragement for all of us up-and-comers in this industry. Lord knows we all are looking to undercut each other as much as needed for the honor and privilege of wearing three stripes and sharing the cockpit with a cheery soul such as yourself.

May I suggest to everyone out there who is unhappy with their level of compensation to 1. work within their union or company to improve your contract, or 2. quit flying, get a desk job and make the "big bucks" you constantly say you can make elsewhere!

[/rant, sarcasm and ignorant response to flamebait]

 

[Mach.75]

Just totaled up my 1st yr. pay and came out around $22-23k gross or roughly a little less than 2k/month. Not great, but I've lived off worse, you just have to make whatever you get paid, work. Agreed, you don't have much left over for the luxuries (plus the always unexpected), but then again I don't live in a crashpad, and a lot going out in loans. Suggest you take a look at outgoing expenses and then your income, and then break it down to how much you can spend each day and still break even. I know you can't always stay below that, but at least it's a guideline. It worked for me, and I haven't touched a pack of Ramon yet, but as far as the F/A's cart missing a few sodas and pretzels, I plead the 5th.
Good luck

 

[~~~^~~~]

Jeesh - I only made $12,200 my first year after expenses ( uniform, moving, crash pad, etc...) Ramen noodles can support life for 12 months. I used to save up on the flavoring packets, the double up on the weekends - yee haa!

My flight attendants used to always feed me. Not sure how they afford it. Parents & ex-husbands I guess....

 

[SMOE]

Thank you, Lequip, for your insight, kind words and encouragement for all of us up-and-comers in this industry. Lord knows we all are looking to undercut each other as much as needed for the honor and privilege of wearing three stripes and sharing the cockpit with a cheery soul such as yourself.

May I suggest to everyone out there who is unhappy with their level of compensation to 1. work within their union or company to improve your contract, or 2. quit flying, get a desk job and make the "big bucks" you constantly say you can make elsewhere!

[/rant, sarcasm and ignorant response to flamebait]

Amen BoilerUP. Someone had to respond. I would have been far less kind...

 

[moscowcfi]

Thank you, Lequip, for your insight, kind words and encouragement for all of us up-and-comers in this industry. Lord knows we all are looking to undercut each other as much as needed for the honor and privilege of wearing three stripes and sharing the cockpit with a cheery soul such as yourself.

May I suggest to everyone out there who is unhappy with their level of compensation to 1. work within their union or company to improve your contract, or 2. quit flying, get a desk job and make the "big bucks" you constantly say you can make elsewhere!

[/rant, sarcasm and ignorant response to flamebait]

Now wait a second! Before we jump on Lequip, I want to point out that he makes a perfectly sane, logical and reasonable point: In order for me (a beginning airline pilot) to succeed in this profession, I should....not get a job as an airline pilot. That makes perfect sense, and I don't understand why anybody would question this assertion.

 

[FlyChicaga]

In my first year at the regionals, I made probably around $18,000 in those 12 months. Give or take. I was able to live fairly comfortably, but that is just my own perspective. Comfortably for me might not be for someone else. I did move back home in the with the parents, which really wasn't bad since I was on the road quite a bit either flying or using my travel benefits to go to Vegas, Oahu, DC, Daytona Beach, the Poconos, New York... all for VERY cheap since I knew people and had places to stay. One month I slept 5 days in my own bed. I was able to purchase a new car (because I HAD to), but did so wisely... got a Saturn and got a few extra safety features which in the grand scheme of things saved me much $$$ in insurance costs. Also, I don't have mondo student loans to pay off compared to many pilots are burdened with the $100,000 flight training loans. I only have around $17,000.

The key thing is to analyze your current financial situation (living costs? Loans? Car payments? Insurance? Kids? Wife? Mortgage?) and decide what you need and what you can do without. When you determine how much your NEEDS will cost you, see if you can afford those first few years in the regionals. Maybe it will mean moving to your base (be wary: some companies change bases a lot, like Air Midwest as I understand) to lower your housing expenses and avoid the extra burden of a crashpad. Living in base also frees up that commuting time to possibly pursue other sources of income... waiting tables, landscaping, real estate, web design, or whatever else fits your fancy.

The simple answer to all of this is that it CAN be done. However, it will take a lot of adjustments to your quality of life and the will to live within your means. Be smart with your finances in the beginning, don't get in too much debt, and when you start moving up in the world to higher pay (is there any high pay anymore??) then you'll be able to enjoy the extra cash. Particuarly if you hold strong to the standard of living you had when making $30,000 compared to $130,000!

Just my two cents.