I find it hard to comprehend that someone has their presumably first job and is now only finding out what a fresh CPL gets paid. Worse still they need to come to PPRUNE to find out.
Come on now, are you telling me this person hasn't even bothered to educate themselves about the GA job market? How long have they been in the industry, in other words how long from starting training till their first job? Have they not made any industry contacts?
I would expect any person starting out in any industry to have some basic idea on the usual starting salary.
I agree GA pay is generally below average. To some extent driven by guys and girls wiling to work for nothing to get some hours. These operators can then cut their costs to the detriment of operators that do pay their new guys. Also to be fair the GA market in New Zealand is miniscule and the operating margins are very small with not insignificant compliance costs.
However for new starts they need to realise even though they have a CPL they are still completing their apprenticeship. The company needs to invest time and money developing that pilot into a fully productive pilot.
I'd say having a full time VFR, SE job with a starting salary of $29,000, isn't too bad. You could do a lot worse.
Some people work for nothing, something I have real issues with. First the fact someone places so little value on their training that they will work for nothing and then employers who are prepared to exploit that situation.