Why does pilot pay suck so bad?

[Frontier1]

How is it that pilots make such crappy wages?
I mean 100k is good, but look at what people make in regular jobs.

Regional guys make less than a security guard.

What is wrong with the people dragging down the industry?

Before I knew better I thought every pilot brought home atleast 150k/year.
1st year UAL 737 FO brings in 27k? What a joke.

I am glad I am not in this.

What sucks even more is the no job security and crappy benefits.

I am a rookie cop and bring home 50k for my 1st year.

 

[DX Rick]

Ok a$$ clown

two days ago you were a TSA scum bag. Yesterday you were a 15,000 hour 757 capt...What gives? Mommy delete Flight Sim 2004?

 

[Frontier1]

"cough cough" If you would kindly read the other post you would see it was written in past tense. In other words, I do not work for them anymore.
I still fly when I have the time between jobs.

Also, whats wrong with FS2004?

 

[SWA/FO]

U R A Tool

 

[nyboilermaker]

Because pilots will fly for free and sell their first born to get a job...Management knows this and the Unions have negotiated pay based on seniority for the past 60 years.

 

[80drvr]

I have to jump in here....
THE largest expense a carrier encores is training expenses. Of those expenses, initial flight training/ground school is the most costly.
The carriers offer the low entry level pay to offset the HUGE cost. However, the longer you are with a company and the more seniority you gain the better the pay. (It's all about seniority)
I personally would prefer to accept a low entry level pay and scrape buy for a few years as opposed to working in a "dead end, go no where job" that I hate. Aviation is my second career. I was an administrator for an engineering firm for 15 years. I absolutely love my job even though it doesn't pay as well....I would NEVER go back! Don't knock it till you try it!

That is simply untrue. Training is an expense (not the largest), but the reason they will pay you nothing is because you will work for it. Which happens to be the same reason that PFT exists.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

yeah, training is just SO costly for the company, so lets all be happy we can fly and just accept those low wages. We are being good employees by helping the training department offset some of thier costs.




NOW, does anyone wonder why the pay is SO pathetic??

Some dip$hits will do anything to fly an airplane....

Dispatcher, you truly sum up why this industry $ucks. THANKS.

 

[BobbyB]

Seems like the 9th grade Supply and Demand Curve would pretty much cover it.

 

[Clyde]

yeah, training is just SO costly for the company, so lets all be happy we can fly and just accept those low wages. We are being good employees by helping the training department offset some of thier costs.




NOW, does anyone wonder why the pay is SO pathetic??

Some dip$hits will do anything to fly an airplane....

Dispatcher, you truly sum up why this industry $ucks. THANKS.

He pretty much sums it up. Some people will do ANYTHING to fly airplanes. Anything to be able to walk through those terminals in a uniform and tell everyone they are an airline pilot. PFT and complacency for the current status of the wages is a contributing factor.

Here's what has to happen. First, the pilot unions at the "minimum wage" carriers need to grow some testicles and demand (not tell) your management staff that you want a decent wage. Period.

Second, people have to stop working for free, in all aspects of aviation. This includes PFT. I knew people who PFT'd from the school I instructed at and their excuse was that it was the only way to go, because of lack of jobs. Reality, they were lazy and wanted a quick fix to a job to try and get ahead of everyone else. I worked a little harder, never had to pay for any training, made lots cash hualing trash around, and made it to a major.

I made 27K my first year, but because we have a good contract I made considerably more each year since then. And that is one of the keys here, a good contract.

Had an interesting discussion the other day about Doctors. True, they don't make much in residency and they work their butts off, but that is a REQUIRED part of how one becomes and M.D. How would you feel if you had to have surgery, and your surgeon was there only because he paid the hospital to be there and in turn was paid peanuts? Would you want that person cutting you open? But what the heck, he gets to tell everyone he's a Doctor.

Bottom line is this: Do you want to be paid to be in a profession or a vocation? Negotiate for good wages and don't back down, that would be a good start.

 

[TexaSWA]

man are the fish biting today.

 

[sstearns2]

Before I knew better I thought every pilot brought home atleast 150k/year.
1st year UAL 737 FO brings in 27k? What a joke.

Keep in mind that there hasn't been a 1st year pilot at UAL in a least 3 years and there will not be for many years to come.

Scott

 

[Brett Hull]

man are the fish biting today.

While that may be true, it is a topic that needs to be discussed and rectified.

I agree 100% with Gulfstream 200.

 

[pilotyip]

1st Year USA Jet pilot

1st year USA Jet DA-20 F/O $33K/yr

 

[pilotyip]

Supply and Demand

Hey guys all the airlines in the US have lost more since 2001 than they have made in their entire history of all the airlines since time started. How are hey going to pay more money to anyone. In fact ATW had an editorial about "Airline Management an Endanger Species", nobody wants to it, because you work too hard for the results. You can go into Health Finance, and other fields and makes more money. This is not just CEO, but other big guys CFO, COO, etc. My brother-in law, owns a Muffler Shop, (non-college graduate) lives in a neighborhood with Doctors, Lawyers. In addition to other professionals because he makes over $200K per year. Sends his kids to private schools, lots of vacations, etc. A high school drop out can make a living flying an airplane and have a skill level equal to anyone out there driving airplanes, in fact I know one at a major. Pilots are a commodity, a company or an airline needs a COM/INST/MEL rated pilot, there are 1,000's to chose from, and the job goes to the lowest bidder. Skill above a minimum level means little to the employer. In fact the skill level above the minimum has little to do with the hiring process, personality, work ethic, etc, play more into the pilot hiring process than hours and ratings. The law of supply and demand dictates. Anyone with a certain level of skill and some desire can become a pilot. I love flying, do it as much as I can, and I enjoy flying anything with wings, and that is reason I came back to aviation. But I think sometimes pilots have a misplaced why they fly, if you are in it because you like flying, you will not be disappointed. If you are in for the money, you may be disappointed.