How much is enough $$$ ?

[BigFlyr]

Just wondering what the average pilot out there thinks is enough money to make it worth while living out of a suitcase until the big "SIX-OH". Seriously... Top pay and how long to achieve it...Flying any jet that hauls at least 50 pax.

I'll start by putting my .02 in... How about $30K as a first year FO, $50K by the third year and $100K by the 10th year assuming you're a captain by then... After that it would depend on the equipment being flown.

 

[CRJ_Driver]

How about

Why ask for one meelion dollars when we could ask for one thousand dollars? muhhhhaahahahahahahaha

Regional

Year 1 - FO Pay in training w/ hotel provided
$24 hr
2 - 35
5 - 45-50

capt.

1 - 60
3 - 69
5 - 73

 

[PilotOnTheRise]

1st year regional - $30K (hey ... you need to be able to live comfortably and some first year FO's have families, they aren't just 23 year old single guys.)

3rd Year Regional FO - $45K

1st Year Regional Capt. - $60K (As a captain, making double what you made as a first year FO is a good way to go.)

Top Off Salary - Regional Capt. - $100K

1st Year Major FO - $45K

3rd Year Major FO - $60K

1st Year Capt. - $75K

Top Off Salary - Major Capt. - $250K+

I personally think pilot pay is OK other than the first year. If they raised that about $10K it would make alot of people happier!

 

[asacap]

$100,000 max for regional captain? We already have 70 seat captains making more than that. How about minimum wage, or better yet, FREE. That sounds great.

Lets not go backwards!!!

 

[jsoceanlord]

i heard united 747-400 capt's make $450,000/year

 

[surfnole]

How about a starting salary equal to that of the TSA screeners?

 

[flyingtoilet]

$100,000 5 year RJ captain. No less.

 

[asacap]

hey flyingtoilet,

I agree 100%. I don't mean to sound greedy but an airline pilots career is more tempermental than any other field. There are a million violations, illnesses, and economic conditions that can freeze, slow down, or totally ruin your career. Not to mention that a mistake can cost you your own life. If you are lucky enough to make it to the top of your airline, then there are great rewards. How about the eastern, pan-am, braniff, and twa pilots who had to start over at the bottom, ask them if they are paid too much. What about the past several decades where many regional pilots qualified for food stamps. Also, the national airline pilots are not making a killing either. There are a few airline pilots that make a ton of money and receive all the attention when it comes to pilot salaries, but for the rest of us, it's simply not that way. I would never want to hurt the bottom line of my airline and I would take a pay cut in a second if it meant saving the airline or to prevent furloughs. On top of that, fair is fair. I'm not going to put a number on what we are worth, but have you looked at what management makes(no medical, checkrides, or emergencies). I know, we shouldn't compare, I just thought I would say it.

 

[BigFlyr]

$100,000 max for regional captain? We already have 70 seat captains making more than that. How about minimum wage, or better yet, FREE. That sounds great.

Lets not go backwards!!!

Sorry, didn't mean to imply maxed out at 100K, I just meant at least 100K by the 10th year... MINIMUM. Of course, I think everyone should be into six figures by the 5th year as a Captain, regardless if you're at a major or a national or regional.

Realistically, now just flying your guarantee... say an average of about 70 to 80 hours per month I DONT think there are too many regional pilots out there making 100K per year or more. More like 65K... Isn't it pathetic?

 

[bssthound]

How about .50/hr more than Airline X?? You know, "Airline X just signed a new contract . . . . "

 

[kilomike]

It saddens me that a first year, regional airline pilot makes less than a first year electrical apprentice. Should be at least the same (27K!) or more!! It's wrong when a regional pilot has passengers' lives at stake and they make so little.

 

[PilotOnTheRise]

I didn't realize the CRJ700 captains were making more than that. I guess we can raise that $100K than.

 

[AAflyer]

Nice to see a change

Last I heard all pilots at the majors are greedy. A jet captain on a 70 seat jet makes 100k plus, but I am over-paid as an FO making $120K on a jet that carries over 210 passengers and makes a mint off of carrying cargo.

Intresting, this is about the only profession I have heard counterparts complain about how much their peers make.

It would be nice however to see regional pay rasied. I think it is INTOLERABLE that a new jet FO makes about the same if not less than a major airline flight attendant in her/his second year.

AAflyer

 

[Rvrrat]

Different perspective...

Why wait until 60???

Once a day is passed, it can not be reclaimed though I admit to attempting to reclaim some of those naps I tossed off as a child.

If one is being paid to do what one enjoys, one is way ahead of the average.

The point is, what has true meaning in life.
Financially, in my case, I would only need 6 years of 100K+ income to become self sustaining, meaning I'd retire outright well before 60. Too much hiking, camping & canoeing to be done to spend more years working than I must even in spite of enjoying what I do for employment.
My wife puts it best. "Time & Love are the true currencies of life."

 

[enigma]

How much is enough?

Two points.
One, I personally want to see comparable worth. A pilot with 170 lives in his hand should be compensated at a level that compares to other persons who hold peoples lives in their hand. Let's say that the average airline Captain carries 200 pax per day and flies 190 days per year. Said Captain will carry 38000 pax per year. If you figure that the average pax pays $300 per year for life insurance, those 38000 pax are paying 11.4 million a year just for life insurance. If you divide 11.4 mil by the number of days worked per year and you get $60K. So, in a very rough calculation, using assumed numbers, we can arrive at one component of a pilots worth; that being the worth of keeping people alive.
Now, if we attempt to calculate what a pilot produces using the same number of pax carried per year, and assuming that the company profits only $20 per pax; and assuming that the pilots are due ten percent of the profits.. we come up with another $76K (or $38 for one pilot). If you take these numbers ($60K and $38K) you come up with what I believe to be the minimum dollar figure that an average Captain should make. $98,000 per year.

Point number two. None of that matters because wages are determined by what the other guy is willing to work for.

As for me, If I can make significantly more flying than I can turning wrenches, I will continue flying. That means that I will be content with around $100K. Not that I won't continue to try and make more, it's just that $100K is about my minimum.

regards
8N