Reading this thread with interest, along with the thread on terms and endearment.
I'm an ATCO in the london TMA - I work bloody hard - usually for 80% of my shift (we have quiet times too), pilots have a lot of quiet time between take off and landing when its really a case of monitoring Ts and Ps (or FMS), especially long haul.
Pilots, in common with ATCOs, are highly trained. Pilots make decisions that have far reaching consequences, ATCOs do so too, often several times a minute for every minute spent on console. Pilots are responsible for the lives of a few hundred people a day, ATCOs are responsible for the lives of tens of thousands of people a day.
ATCOs tend to work a steady shift pattern however, pilots tend to fare much worse in this respect.
Pilots could end up dead as a result of a bad decision on their part or on an ATCOs part.
These are all valid statements, but some of them need quantifying; for example the one about pilots lives being on the line (made often by pilots in any discussion about pay).
Flying is still the safest form of transport - a taxi driver or truck driver or motorcycle courier is more likely to be killed whilst working than a professional airline pilot.
However, the point I want to make and not turn this into a p**sing contest is that we are well paid on the whole - a statement a colleague of mine uses is I think, quite apt.
"We are well paid, but not over paid"...
When I asked what he meant he said that he meant just that... when you look at some salaries then look at ours, we are actually well paid. However if you asked Joe Bloggs on the street, he may consider us to be overpaid, which I honestly think we are not, in fact I think we could easily get a good pay rise and still be considered to not be over paid.
The article this thread refers to is out in some instances but the salient point is that we are well paid, we receive a decent wage when considered as a black and white figure.
Despite the protestations on this thread about the fact that pilots self fund to get their license - I'm afraid it is really a moot point. Until people stop paying out the vast amounts of money they do, things will never change (and we all know that this will never happen).
The majority of ATCOS in the UK have not self funded - but believe me the boss of NATS wants us to go down that route. Again I cannot see this happening, not in NATS anyway. The amount of ATCOs we need to keep producing far outweighs the tiny amount of people who are willing to pay for the training.
Being a pilot is one of those things that kids grow up wanting to do - they see glamour and excitement - which is far from the truth in civil airline flying, however it is this misconception that means people will still self fund if they can.
Looking through all the posts pilots are on average, paid far more than ATCOs (UK speaking now). Pilots also (on average) progress much quicker up the pay scale, to a point beyond the top of ATCOs pay).
Surely these two professions are better to compare than a pilot and a doctor?
Pilots do work hard and on the rare time they have an emergency they really earn their crust.
However I would say that without a doubt that although ATCOs may not work as long hours as some pilots (especially lo-cost short haul), they work harder and are subject to more work related stress than pilots. Looking after one A/C as a pilot is pressure enough, looking after several at the same time is even more pressure.
Therefore I think that pilots should really think themselves lucky that they are being well paid to do a job they love - otherwise why do you pay so much money to get there?
Like everyone, I would like to earn more and I think I deserve more, but I am also a realist and do not think that I am better than someone in another profession.