LEO45
I would have to disagree. I flew air taxi for 18 months in piston twins and went straight onto 757's. My current employer was very complimentary about the air taxi experience and during interview was trying to turn me off airline flying by telling me that the air taxi work was the best flying I would ever do. He was ex military and really meant it.
I found the flying excellent, a complete mixture of one day flying into Heathrow and the next landing on the beach in Barra. I started with 270hrs TT with a UK CPL/IR, which was VERY rare, normally for insurance purposes they required 700TT. Under JAR as already mentioned I do not think this is now allowed. When I interviewed for my current job I had 950TT and the company were asking for a minimum of 700TT. Over 600hrs on twins was definately in my favour and that being single crew impressed them even more. The Chief Pilot commented on how if I could handle that I could certainly handle sitting in the rhs of a 757. Many other pilots have commented and "how did you manage to get a job on a 757 with less than 1000hrs, when I've got over 3000 with turbo prop time and can't even get an interview?" It took me 4 and 1/2 months of 'working' the Chief Pilot and his PA to eventually be in the right place at the right time and that's what gets you an interview, not sending 3 cv's a month with 20 extra hours on each one.
Don't knock the air taxi, it is challenging and rewarding and fabulous experience but that in itself won't open the door, you have too.
Oh, and to answer the original question I started on £24k year one, rising to £32k year two. That was well above average and the company has now changed hands and I believe new starters are on about £18 without the rise!!!
Good luck
PP