Originally Posted by
RatherBeFlying
Then I got downsized at 55 into a job market that was just as brutal to old coders as it was to low hour pilots.
Sad, and weird, to hear. I'm well in my 40s and have not seen anything similar. Every company I've worked for so far has a mix of junior vs experienced SWEs. But then again, I'm in silicon valley where there is always a market for people with skills. For comparison (and not to show off), my W2 income for last year was well above 300k (this includes base, bonus, RSUs etc).Of course, that includes the silicon valley bonus (cost of living is horrible). I've yet to see air crew make that.
My point being that at this point in time, young people interested in aviation must make a choice between cash and their dreams, and potentially have a plan B.