According to the Chinese pilot's (Yuan Sheng) statement, he was making more than $3,600 US dollars per month in China. $3,600 US dollar provides a comfortable living in China.
Even if he spoke perfect English, he would have to start from the bottom at a US airline. A junior FO for a US commuter jet (using Mesaba's pay scale) is $23/hour, and that number is before Mesaba's bankruptcy
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/dis.../mesabapilots/
There are still many furloughed pilots in the US. Yuan Sheng's chances of finding a pilot job in the US does not good.
Yuan Sheng's statement:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-8-11/44846.html