Does anyone know if there's pay during CPP and the pay when you become a SO?
Are pilots that go through the CPP program paid on the same wage scales as the other pilots, even though they funded your training? Whats the disadvantage to going through CPP vs. Direct entry SO as far as wage/benefits?

Thanks for the help.

not sure if there is an allowance when doing cadet training..i'd imagine there has to be though. 1st year SO salary is $398,000 HK, which is about $63,000 australian dollars, or $55,000 USD. hope this helps.

Expats get between around $24,000 up to $55,000 housing per month, so if you want a similar living standard to an expat remember to subtract that from your basic pay.

ie your $398,000 S/O pay is now a max of $110,000 or around $17,000AUD or $14,000 USD for the year without tax!

Housing in HK is very expensive be warned! If any of your mates are expats when you join you will notice the difference very much so.

aren't SOs paid by hourly rate?

Where can I view the B pay scale? So, $55,000 usd is how much they make or $14,000 usd? This doesn't make sense.....$31,000 is housing allowance? I understand you dont' get housing. I'm just asking how much salary to you receive annually either in hkd or usd?

SO salary per month is

1year 33179HKD
2year 37150HKD
3year 41000HKD
4year 44000HKD

you will also get 15.5% superannuation, plus layover allowances, which on average end up being about 5000HKD per month depending on which routes they roster you on.

Additionally for a DIRECT entry SO, he-she will also get 25000HKD per month in housing which will increase to 50000HKD per month after 2 years service, plus childrens education allowance.

So, a direct entry SO package is more than double from a cadet package, as you can see. Life is possible in HKG without the housing allowance, but it will be tough...to get an idea of what you can afford to rent, check Hong Kong Property and Apartment, for Rent and for Sale - Hong Kong Realty (http://www.hongkonghomes.com)

Good luck

they can survive in HK

Enjoy life, not survive it.

I see plenty of studio apartments downtown for HKD14000 (1,800USD). So, after paying rent on 1st year SO pay, I would have roughly $3,200USD left over. Right now I make about half that as a CFI and still have to pay rent. So I don't see this being much of a sacrifice.

Remember your salary is also taxed in Hong Kong. Around 15 percent I believe. Plus I "heard" because I'm not there yet, that your first year there they make you pay your taxes ahead for the next year.

Tax is on a sliding scale up to 15% of income. Provisional tax is also payable. Just remember that everything in Hong Kong costs at least twice as much as most western countries. i.e. bread, milk, steaks, electricity etc.
By the time you take out tax, rent, food, transport, utilities, and a little cash for social activities you will not have much left to put in the bank for a rainy day. Especially if you have a partner that does not work.

thats why i'm gonna find me a rich wife

^ I think that's the only way you can enjoy living in Hong Kong on the CPP salary. Having night stopped in Hong Kong, it's not a cheap night out.

Good luck!

so does CX pay for accomodation if you are away from base? i heard for short stays it's paid for, but if you are there for more than a week it's not, is that true?
are there pilots based in vancouver to start off ?

The main difference in pay between a direct entry SO and a cadet comes from the fact that cadets do NOT receive housing allowance. Now I know I know, most of us come from countries where an housing allowance is definetely not the norm and it may seem like a small thing. It's still a great job so why worry about that small stuff right?

However the reality is that an housing allowance IS the norm here in HK, as apartments are very expensive to rent/buy. It's not just Cathay that provides an housing allowance either. You'll find, once you get here, that the majority of expats living in HK are in receipt of some sort of financing to cover most or all of the rent/mortgages. Almost every banker, lawyer, IT guy, engineer, etc, or any professional in almost every field receives a package that takes into account the very high cost of real estate. Don't fool yourself, finances will be tight at the beginning without it.

But then again, your licence will paid for and you have a guaranteed job once your training is over. That's a real opportunity in this industry, where jobs can be hard to get. The normal path usually involves paying high fees to get a licence, then working for almost nothing for a long time in order to build the flight time needed to be considered for a direct entry job with a major airline (without guarantee you'll ever get there either).

All in all, the cadet program can be a real opportunity that should be considered seriously. However, if you get in and eventually move to HK to work for Cathay, make sure you know what to expect. You will not be compensated the same as other expats. This is very much fair considering you join as a cadet without any experience, but it may cause disappointment to those who didn't think it through before making their decision.

I think people will have to learn to make sacrifices in life for what they really want. If you are just after money, don't become a pilot.

If you are just after money, don't become a pilot.

True. Too often pilots are underpaid. But who's fault is it? There are too many out there who accept to be poorly compensated simply to be in a shiny cockpit. If all you want is to simply fly an airplane, you would be better off finding a good paying job and getting your own small aircraft. If you want a career instead, you should start with expectations that you will be able to make a decent living considering the job you have.

agreed. if you are keen on money, then go to investment field. it's all about money. People with passion in the industry will perform better as simply "they like it".

People with passion in the industry will perform better as simply "they like it".
What about if they don't have the skills required? All the passion in the world cannot make up for a lack of ability.

I think people should not become pilots because of the pay or the status. You need to have a passion. Not necessarily a full blown passion but you need to be interested in aviation. However I dont think that means we should become cheap pilots. Money should not be our priority but we shouldnt fly for peanuts either. It is our duty to keep the job of pilot at a high standard. If you fly for peanuts you are just lowering the standard and eventually it will become a job like any other. Being a pilot, even though nowadays that has changed a little, is and should remain a unique job. you should still be able to turn heads when you're walking around with your uniform on. Unfortunately the status of the job is going downhill with low-paid jobs and people who pay to fly. I mean, pilots are being paid to fly aircraft worth millions of dollars, carrying 300 passengers or more over long distances in an environment thats not supposed to support life. The responsibility and duty involved isnt the same as driving a school bus. therefore why accept to get paid like you are? This should not, however, be the absolute priority.!! I have also heard that Cathay is one of the best paying airlines in the world( rumours, I dont know for sure) so i dont think you should worry too much.

What about if they don't have the skills required? All the passion in the world cannot make up for a lack of ability.

Then they don't get hired. Very simple. What's the problem with a person with passion but not the skill?

and if this candidate has the passion, s/he will look for area(s) for improvement, and then re-apply.

You have the limited number of flying hours to master some flying skils. Cathay will not pay you 40 flight hours befpre they release you solo and you land the airplane by yourself. If you are not able to safely fly an airplane within certain number of hours (probably around 20 hrs), you are out... I was already a flight instructor and some people are not ever able to land an airplane safely. Others don't have a required decision making skills to ever become safe pilots, some get desoriented and overloaded during IFR training, some are anable to do multitasking which is very important for a pilot... I think that is what he was trying to say...

I have also heard that Cathay is one of the best paying airlines in the world

It used to be, but it is far from it nowadays. Since 1993, there has been a new payscale, retirement scheme, travel benefits, medical benefits, etc for every new pilots. Needless to say, that payscale was considerably less. To add to that, Cathay hasn't given a meaningfull payrise to its pilots for somewhere around 10 years. And if you go on a base, you have to accept a different salary scale which is less than in HK. Oh and I almost forgot, new pilots since 2008 are on a new contract with yet another different payscale on bases, which is obviously even less.

Surprisingly, Cathay still enjoys the reputation it made for itself a long time ago. The new reality for new joiners is quite different. You will not make more money working for Cathay than somewhere else for a different airline, especially if you join as a cadet since you will not be eligible for the housing allowance.

Don't get me wrong, it is still a nice job and many will enjoy it. I'm just trying to bust some myths!

You have the limited number of flying hours to master some flying skils. Cathay will not pay you 40 flight hours befpre they release you solo and you land the airplane by yourself. If you are not able to safely fly an airplane within certain number of hours (probably around 20 hrs), you are out... I was already a flight instructor and some people are not ever able to land an airplane safely. Others don't have a required decision making skills to ever become safe pilots, some get desoriented and overloaded during IFR training, some are anable to do multitasking which is very important for a pilot... I think that is what he was trying to say...


Thank you for the moderation. :ok:

The situation you suggested results simply in the candidate not getting hired. It's really that simple.

Same statement also applies to those with great passion but inadequate skills/talents.;)