sensitive question - pay

[shauny]

hi

im a student (17 y/o) seriously thinking about a career as a pilot and am wondering what the approximate pay is for a pilot per year?

so far, i have seen the following quoted:
First Officer - £36,000 p.a.
Captain (after 10 years as FO) - £75,000 p.a.

realising this may be a somewhat tactless question, i'd be greatly appreciative if current or former pilots could be so kind as to let me know what the usual pay is and how this varies between different airlines.

thanks

[MaximumPete]

Go to the BALPA web page and have a look there or perhaps you could e-mail for a list of salaries paid by the airlines:

www.balpa.org

[email protected]

MP

[flapsforty]

Hi Shauny, there is also a special forum for these matters right here on PPRuNe called Terms and Endearment (http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&forumid=38).
Another option, apart from the obviously very useful ones posted by Uncle Pete, is the search (http://www.pprune.org/forums/search.php?s=) option at the top of every page.

If you type the words "pilots and pay" in the "search by keyword" box, and click on "terms and endearment" in the search forums options box, you get a long list of PPRuNe threads dealing with what you are looking for.
Good luck! :)

[Jinkster]

If all you are interested in is pay, dont bother!!!!! :mad:

[machone]

Pay is always important. It lets you do those otherthings that we all enjoy when not working hard. Driving fast cards, drinking, and other expensive habits. Yes we must enjoy the job but lets get paid very well for doing it. it is a hard life.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[JJflyer]

OK...

Salary. There is a big difference between contract and permanent employment salaries.
Contract pay is usually better , but mind you, in many cases you are not collecting retirement.

While flying on VIP airplanes I often made more than 11000 USD a month. This would be 6000 USD a month base salary + 150 USD a day per diem + 20 USD a day meal allowance. This is the better end of internatonal contract work.

Lower end is this:
There are companies that pay, say, 4000 USD a month. Then you have to pay for your tickets back and forth to the country where you work. Pay for your own insurance, medical and proficiency checks as well as you pay for hotels when you are doing your PC. I´ll brake it down a bit:

Proficiency Check 2 times a year 10000 USD with travel and hotels
Travel to and from base of ops 2x a year 3500 USD
Uniforms, medicals, insurance and such 4000 USD a year
A total of 17500 USD
48000 USD-17500 USD = 30500 USD /12 = 2541 USD/month.
This is 1600 UK pounds.
For a starting F/O in a company where you have career opportunities and all the normal airline benefits, this is OK to start with. But for a contract it is pathetic. :mad:

There are some really good contracts around but unfortunately there are a lot of these outfits around where the main purpose seems to be to screw the pilot. These examples I gave you are relevant when you contract as an individual. I highly recommend contract work, but through an established agency, where you have better protection and more security.

[Fat Tony]

JJFlyer

Quote:<<For a starting F/O in a company where you have career opportunities and all the normal airline benefits, this is OK to start with. But for a contract it is pathetic. >>

Are you suggesting that a gross pay of £1600pm is acceptable for a new FO with an airline of any size...? Because I do not consider that even remotely acceptable! Responsibility begins day 1. Pay may come with experience but we are highly qualified and trained professionals!

If on the other hand you are saying that $48000 US is an acceptable starting salary for a new FO I can at least see your point. Personally I would like to see a starting basic of about $60k but we can't always get what we want I guess...:cool:

[JJflyer]

You need to work your way up the ladder you know... So 1600 pounds is quite ok for a guy that has 0 time in jets. Especially if there is periodic increases in salary and privileges as I mentioned in my previous posts.
Now would I take it... No way. I think I have paid most of my dues.

[Trader]

Where did you work, JJ, that paid those wages??!!!!! Its time for me to move.

[JJflyer]

The well paying job was flying for a Saudi VIP operator of "questionable" reputation. The bad paying one is in Africa. A local PAX carrier. Did beat working in McDonalds. But I am not all that sure anymore.