MONEY: Just to get an idea of the way things are...
Join Date: Apr 2002
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If you look at contract work as Capt (as that is all I have recent direct experience of to comment on ) the going rate 10yrs ago was around 10,000$ / 8000€ / 5000sterling at the exchange rates of the time.
Nowadays ? well, some of the stay away from home guys are still getting that, but the majority of contracts are hovering around the 6000€ mark.
In the current market we are getting cheaper & cheaper, a recent African 6mth non-commuting contract was reportedly offering 6000$ ! ! for Capt, and I am sure they will have takers.
Until (IF
) the market goes full circle we are stuck with getting paid cr@p in this "profession" in comparison to 10yrs ago.
We always fail miserably to claw much of it back when times are good, so the only question is how steep/shallow the descent in the meantime.
When/if we turn the corner ? anybodies guess, I have no idea, but it can't come soon enough.
25 grand ? just an insult, the beanies think we are just bus drivers, and now they don't even want to pay us as well as one.
Nowadays ? well, some of the stay away from home guys are still getting that, but the majority of contracts are hovering around the 6000€ mark.
In the current market we are getting cheaper & cheaper, a recent African 6mth non-commuting contract was reportedly offering 6000$ ! ! for Capt, and I am sure they will have takers.
Until (IF
) the market goes full circle we are stuck with getting paid cr@p in this "profession" in comparison to 10yrs ago.We always fail miserably to claw much of it back when times are good, so the only question is how steep/shallow the descent in the meantime.
When/if we turn the corner ? anybodies guess, I have no idea, but it can't come soon enough.
25 grand ? just an insult, the beanies think we are just bus drivers, and now they don't even want to pay us as well as one.
Join Date: Jun 2001
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£25,000 . . . ok only if tax free, and living in a third world place like SGN, BKK, CGK; single, no kids, no debts and condo paid off. No bills, except for: electric, food, beer, and toy girls. 
Join Date: Nov 2002
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AA1GUY,
I don't know many. or any Asian airlines paying starting FOs 15,000 E a month basic. Cathy FO, 3 year on 744 is about 7000E, NAC out of LA, 10000 E inc FDP, I'm sure there must one or two, but it's far from the norm.
I don't know many. or any Asian airlines paying starting FOs 15,000 E a month basic. Cathy FO, 3 year on 744 is about 7000E, NAC out of LA, 10000 E inc FDP, I'm sure there must one or two, but it's far from the norm.
Join Date: Jan 2003
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25k may be good or bad depending on what stage of your career you are at. I made less than the cost of living (7k ish) as a flying instructor in the US and after a move back to the UK reached the giddy heights of 18k for left seat Air Ambulance flying. These days I probably make about 30k as a turboprop FO. This has been justifiable, even with training costs considered for one reason. That reason is that with more hours and experience I could progress my career and financial benefits; become a 50k turboprop Captain, 60k jet FO then start raking in the 80k+ big bucks that a jet command would bring.
Problem is that career progression has now halted. My employer is not expanding and no pilots are moving on. They are no longer even giving inflationary pay rises! In the short run that means no command. Meanwhile, the jet airlines are using only the pay to fly brigade and will continue to do so as long as it suits their bottom line and the CAA let them. Again, bang goes the career progression.
So, 25k is just fine if you are going to get that quick command upgrade but not acceptable as a long term proposition.
Problem is that career progression has now halted. My employer is not expanding and no pilots are moving on. They are no longer even giving inflationary pay rises! In the short run that means no command. Meanwhile, the jet airlines are using only the pay to fly brigade and will continue to do so as long as it suits their bottom line and the CAA let them. Again, bang goes the career progression.
So, 25k is just fine if you are going to get that quick command upgrade but not acceptable as a long term proposition.
Join Date: Mar 2007
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What kind of job/Airline is paying 11000GBP a month?
I'm an FO with a Charter Airline and in an 8 month summer contract I grossed £38k in that time. I am more than happy with that.
I worked in many different industries including Military, Public Sector and Private sector in a varying number of professional roles, not all flying related, overall I think we are well paid for what we do. I keep justifying it as we get paid for when things go wrong. When things do go wrong, I know I, as a passenger would want the people who were attracting the best salaries and therefore hopefully be at the top of the game looking after the emergency up the front.
There is an old saying, "you pay peanuts, you get monkeys".
I'm an FO with a Charter Airline and in an 8 month summer contract I grossed £38k in that time. I am more than happy with that.
I worked in many different industries including Military, Public Sector and Private sector in a varying number of professional roles, not all flying related, overall I think we are well paid for what we do. I keep justifying it as we get paid for when things go wrong. When things do go wrong, I know I, as a passenger would want the people who were attracting the best salaries and therefore hopefully be at the top of the game looking after the emergency up the front.
There is an old saying, "you pay peanuts, you get monkeys".
Join Date: Feb 2009
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According to "This is Money". Airline pilots are ranked on average the 6th best paid job in the UK at around £66,000. Now with all this moaning about wages etc which to wanabes make it look like a rubbish industry , I can only draw one conclusion
That on pprune only people with low wages whine about it constantly, while all the other high earners, either don't visit this site or don't talk about it
That on pprune only people with low wages whine about it constantly, while all the other high earners, either don't visit this site or don't talk about it
Join Date: Jul 2009
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If you're young and single then I can see that this salary may be enough to live on however if you have a family then you would really struggle. Personally I couldn't live on this amount and I really don't think it is an acceptable salary for anyone other than new pilots in their first year or so of flying. Sadly I can't see the wages improving any time soon and new guys will continue to get paid less than a train driver until attitudes change.
