gums, re "senior" money, it tops out at around US$150,000 to $200,000 after about 25 years in. Bottom guys and gals are making between US$16k and $75k in the right seat, bit more in the left. An airline pilot may make around US$160k in the left seat of a B767/757 - (perhaps someone who knows for sure can chime it). You certainly can't raise a family on that kind of money at the lower end - it's not as though these pilots aren't already veterans, earning that kind of money. With student debt for the degree, the cost of licences and endorsements and putting the hours in, there's simply no return on the US$100,000+ investment to be qualified to land a first real job with a connector carrier. I believe it's slowly changing but the numbers make no sense whatsover to go through what it takes to become an airline pilot.
If you take a look at any CEO of a US$250m corporation and the liability that rests with one man in terms of potential losses, I think the salaries were commensurate and realistic. However, the prospects of good money and decent conditions are few and far between; and most carriers are working the ass off their crews, paying lip-service to fatigue risk management.
Today, pro hockey players, football players and basketball players each collect more in a couple of weeks work than almost all pilots make in a year. Brand new teachers and brand new nurses make more in their first year.
Not everyone can be a sports pro, but not everyone can fly either.
I'm not "negotiating for pilots" of course, I'm describing a phenomenon: It is what it is, and airlines will have to deal with the consequences of how they've treated the piloting profession. I'm retired. Thankfully, and I had a trememdous run and am watching things like AF447 happen needlessly.
Actually, it doesn't matter what any of us think because we were all told by senior managements at the time that we're worth what the "market" will pay. Well, that "market" is slowly starting to change in a few places because young people ain't coming into the profession any more, they're taking their skills and going into law, government, politics or becoming one o'those wealthy one-percenters who get multi-million dollar bonuses no matter if they fail or not. Nice gig; we all know what happens when an airline pilot "fails"...CEOs get bonuses, pilots get a funeral.
Last edited by PJ2; 17th Nov 2014 at 05:48.