Fair play to the American Unions for what they have achieved but comparing like for like is silly when you don't factor in the cost of living in any decent city in America, healthcare, University costs for children etc, I would imagine it's actually closer than you think. I'm a single aisle Captain in the UK grossing just under 170k next year and it will cost £9k to send my child to university per year, it's likely 5 to 10 times more across the Atlantic.