Future Pilot Pay will be at School Teacher Wages

[UndauntedFlyer]

The future of all pilot pay will be at school teacher levels.

The fact that pilots made very large salaries in the recent past (40-years) was a fluke of rapid change in the industry. That time is past. Pilots will have to get used to it.

When the original pilot union contracts were signed, pilot pay based on level about equal to school teacher wages. A pay formula for pilots related to payload delivery (weight X speed) was used. In the ensuing years payloads increased at unimaginable rates, quadrupling X 10, and speed tippled too. Those times and years are now past and pilot pay structure is being re-normalized by supply and demand instead of payload delivery (weight X speed).

Now it's now back to the starting point: Pilot pay will be about equal to school teacher wages. Supply and demand will not increase pilot pay unless there truly is a supply shortage. Most people do not expect that to happen.

Teachers work for less because they say they love to teach; in the future, pilots will only survive if they love to fly.

Your comments are welcome!

 

[pilotyip]

You hit it on the head, if wages go to school teacher level, then the market will determine if piltos will put up with this level of pay. If there is a shortage pay will rise, if there is not it will remain at that level. A college degree may not be that important to airlines in the future if the supply of pilots shrinks. In my career I normally made less than my school teacher sister who topped out a $77K back in early 90's

 

[tdwnds1]

Just a quick glance at PayScale.com shows that...

Average School Teacher Pay k-12, 40-45K (First year).

Average Regional Pilot Pay 20-30k (First Year)

Looks like pay will have to rise.

 

[PCL_128]

Put the bong down, grandpa. Take a look at inflation-corrected pay levels for pilot contracts in the '30s, when pilot contracts were a new thing, and you'll see that your history is very far off the mark. They were making far more than we're making now.

Pilot pay will be going back up over the next 5-7 years. It likely won't reach pre-9/11 levels, but it will start getting close again. The industry pattern is looking good.

 

[pilotyip]

what bong?

Put the bong down, grandpa. Take a look at inflation-corrected pay levels for pilot contracts in the '30s, when pilot contracts were a new thing, and you'll see that your history is very far off the mark. They were making far more than we're making now.

Pilot pay will be going back up over the next 5-7 years. It likely won't reach pre-9/11 levels, but it will start getting close again. The industry pattern is looking good.

Hey where did I say anything about pilot pay other than the market through the end user would determine pilot pay? I was in-line to become a $125K/yr 747 Capt at an ALPA airline in 1978 until it went out of business. I did my Employee Compensation class term paper on the history of airline pilot pay versus revenue generated. I am will aware of historic airline pilot pay. BTW Have a great Thankgiving holiday

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

Put the bong down, grandpa. The industry pattern is looking good.

I'm not sure I know what a Bong is? I think that's what Olympians use. Right?

In any event, maybe that's what you've been using, considering your statement, "The industry pattern is looking good." What? Are you kidding or what?

So you think wages will be going up? Maybe so, and I hope you're right but I fear otherwise for you and your colleagues.

I truly believe that the future of the pilot job is school teacher wages. Be ready for that lifestyle or don't quit your day job.

 

[PCL_128]

In any event, maybe that's what you've been using, considering your statement, "The industry pattern is looking good." What? Are you kidding or what?

Take a look at the recent contracts, gramps:

Alaska: large pay increases, almost returning to pre-9/11 levels
Delta/NWA: large pay increases, almost returning to pre-9/11 narrow-body levels by 2012
SWA: Pay increases that do get back to pre-9/11 narrow-body levels

And soon to follow:

Hawaiian: will likely have a deal by February that brings them up to Alaska's new scale
AirTran: will likely have a deal by spring that does the same

The pattern is looking good, old man. Go back to your shuffle-board game.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

Take a look at the recent contracts, gramps:

Alaska: large pay increases, almost returning to pre-9/11 levels
Delta/NWA: large pay increases, almost returning to pre-9/11 narrow-body levels by 2012
SWA: Pay increases that do get back to pre-9/11 narrow-body levels

And soon to follow:

Hawaiian: will likely have a deal by February that brings them up to Alaska's new scale
AirTran: will likely have a deal by spring that does the same

The pattern is looking good, old man. Go back to your shuffle-board game.

I'm glad to learn of all this good news. I was under the impression that there were 1,000's of pilots on furlough. I guess that's not true. And the Wide Body pilots are back to $300K, right? That's all pre-911. I'm glad to learn this too.

And let's see, as a 717 F/O your pay is over $100K, right? That's pre-911, right?

 

[pilotyip]

As said before the markets will determine what wages will be.

 

[PCL_128]

As said before the markets will determine what wages will be.

Nope. The markets are only one factor. Labor unions see to it that pure market factors don't determine wages.