after the military, and instead joined the railways. $45K in my first year, $65K in my second, and last year $95K including a little overtime and my meagre allowances.
After getting through flight screening I quit the ADF and joined the railway to pay for my own licence, and finished it fairly quickly.
Sydney Passenger Train Driver = $85-100k (more for a trainer)
Guard = $65-85k
Freight Train Driver = $140k+
Now I am finished I probably wont make that kind of money for a long time, if ever. This despite sinking $60k into training. There is something very backwards about that.
I don't regret doing it but recent trends in pilot T&Cs make me wonder whether I should bother to persue aviation as a long term career or fall back on my degree, find a decent paying, but boring job and fly my own plane on weekends.
I can't see the situation ever changing