commercial piloting?

[Chris E]

i have heard a lot about this recently and it all conflicted.  I first heard that as of now many pilots are not getting paid much at all and that the salary is terrible.  Yet today I just saw that the pay was great, is it back up?  or was the source today just wrong?

[RitterKreuz]

the source today was obviously mistaken... Pilot pay is pretty low these days BUT

Pilot salary is directly dependant on your seniority, which is basically how long you have been a pilot for a specific company.

Most commuter airline new hires can expect to earn anywhere between $1600 (US) to $2500 (US) per month depending on the company and benifits etc. this will pretty much be the standard for your first hand full of years with the company.

Your pay increases as you are with the company longer and longer. A commuter airline captain who is high on the seniority list and has been with a company for as many as 10 to 15 years might expect perhaps as much as $75000 (US) annually.

When you move into the majors pay is increased substantially. I personally know two senior captains who are currently employeed by 2 different major airlines who claim at least 6 digits annually. But i also hear that such salarys are about to be extinct.

What you earn in aviation depends a lot on where you go with it. But dont expect to get into it and make enough money to sink a ship. It is a slow starting career, initially the pay will put you on a budget allowing for such luxurys as a 6-pack of keystone light with mac and cheese for dinner...and it takes a while to build a resume that employers will take seriously.

[Tweek]

Remember though, most pilots will be there because they enjoy flying. It's just an added bonus if they get paid a lot of money for doing what they do. I sure as hell wouldn't mind doing something like that for a fairly average salary.

[Rocket_Bird]

Depends on where you fly too I think.  If your a bush pilot, you'll be making tons flying in and out of grass strips in the middle of no where.  Airlines and stuff, usually depends, I know someone whose dad was an airliner pilot (Boeing 737NGs and 737-200s), but he couldnt make a good enough living to keep up so he moved to smaller corporate companies, which I believe makes more.  Some pilots, like flight instructors, hardly make anything (I'm making more money than my ole instructor when I was getting my private, yet im making so little as compared to most other jobs!).

But like said, pilots are there for the flying, not for the money.  I have almost emptied my bank account for flying, and I don't even get paid for it!