What I quoted was for Contract work. IE, you pay your own Flight Safety 24K recurrent, hotel, food, and travel to get current. Then when you pay all of this including your Recurrent International procedures course, your own family medical, and own 401k, cell phone etc. then you should get paid $800/day domestic and $1000/day International plus expense for a SuperMid Aircraft like a Challenger 300/G200.
$1000 a day comes out to $30K per month, but the average seems like $18K to $25K is the going rate. I know guys doing it for $14K a month, but I wouldn't do it for that, and I know many who turned it down and many who would die for the gig. It's all over the board. I have turned down work before, but sometimes they call back and sometimes they don't. This is for PIC with 100 hours in type is the DGCA requirement.
You only get paid while your away from your home. Do a 3 week gig or a 2 month gig and back home with no income and looking for other contract work while you pay your medical insurance and network for contracts with no income and closer to that Flight Safety $25K recurrent again.
I had a buddy that paid for his recurrent and then the gig fell through and he sat home for 7 months before he got a job in a different airplane. It's stressful draining the savings account hoping the risk will pay off. Southwest anyone? I know guys that took a Africa gig and never got a dime. Try to collect that. It's not for the weak hearted that like to live pay check to pay check. Contracting is tough and international contracting is even tougher. I'd love to give it all up for a permaneant job back in the US. Wouldn't even hesitate. But I sure would miss those overnights in Lybia, and in Yemen during Ramadon (sp?). I am not kiding! Oh yea it's the 1 year aniversary of the Mumbai bombings for my fellow aviatiors here in India.
So if you do it, save some cash for taxes, (you need to be out of the country for 350 days straight per the tax year), save some cash for inbetween gigs, and save a lot of cash to pay for your next recurrent. Then add up your NET salary and tell me if it was worth it and would you do it again.
The previous post is right. Make sure you go with a 4-5 star hotel. Hugh difference in an apartment and you almost have to eat at a 5 star hotel for every meal. Most of the guys you will be flying with are low time, but not all.
Now if you are being hired as a full time pilot and it's permanent gig and the company is covering all your training and paying you, then maybe $15K a month is reasonable.
Let me ask you this. Whats the going rate for a B737 captain in the US. I know B737 captains making $250k a year and some others making $60K a year.
Anyone?