A comparison of a pilot's income vs. other jobs

[tonyw]

I know you were thinking of airline pilots, but we should keep in mind that not everyone is paid on the same basis as they are. I'm on a flat salary so I get paid the same whether I'm working or not. Today was the last of my six day *on* period, and I only flew three of those six. Pays the same as if I were gone for six days straight.

Steve, you are absolutely right. What I said about pilots only getting paid for productive time applies to airline pilots. And I guess CFIs, since if they aren't teaching, they're not getting paid!

 

[CFIse]

One thing I don't agree with the analysis is that it takes your TAFB and figures your effective hourly rate based upon that. That's like saying we should be getting paid while sleeping. I don't think any job will pay you your hourly wage for that (unless you sleep on the job ).

I agree - this is once again the typical "poor me I'm over-worked and under-paid" pilot BS. I realise that we're starting from a difficult position when people hear we make $30 an hour (or for heavens sake even more than that) but to then go and skew the whole thing by claiming we should be paid for every minute we're away from base is just bizarre.

So yeh - it's tough to compare at a pure money level - different jobs have different perks (I loved all the free dounuts at the donut factory right until I reached 450 pounds and exploded, but the pay was awful). Nobody made us be pilots.

Oh and commuting - it's not unusual for people in the "real world" to commute 1.5 hours each way, each day. So that's 15 hours a week, 60+ hours a month (there's only one month with 28 days people, do the math). With the exception of people commuting cross-country (who made that choice) I doubt most airline pilots spend that much time commuting, and pilots get to sleep through their commute (although to judge by the traffic accident statistics it seems far to many other people are sleeping during their commute as well).

It's not that bad a job - spend a month as a "barrista" at Starbucks, or working retail pretty much anywhere, or working construction this summer, or working road repair or any number of blue collar jobs (and like it or not, airplane driving is blue collar) and you'll coming running back to you air conditioned flight deck with copies of US Today falling easily to hand and thank your lucky stars you're a pilot.

 

[turbojet28]

steve, i know its probably been said....but, "if they don't find you handsome, at least they'll find you handy."

haha! Now Jetcareers = Possum Lodge!!

 

[Trip7]

I agree - this is once again the typical "poor me I'm over-worked and under-paid" pilot BS. I realise that we're starting from a difficult position when people hear we make $30 an hour (or for heavens sake even more than that) but to then go and skew the whole thing by claiming we should be paid for every minute we're away from base is just bizarre.

So yeh - it's tough to compare at a pure money level - different jobs have different perks (I loved all the free dounuts at the donut factory right until I reached 450 pounds and exploded, but the pay was awful). Nobody made us be pilots.

Oh and commuting - it's not unusual for people in the "real world" to commute 1.5 hours each way, each day. So that's 15 hours a week, 60+ hours a month (there's only one month with 28 days people, do the math). With the exception of people commuting cross-country (who made that choice) I doubt most airline pilots spend that much time commuting, and pilots get to sleep through their commute (although to judge by the traffic accident statistics it seems far to many other people are sleeping during their commute as well).

It's not that bad a job - spend a month as a "barrista" at Starbucks, or working retail pretty much anywhere, or working construction this summer, or working road repair or any number of blue collar jobs (and like it or not, airplane driving is blue collar) and you'll coming running back to you air conditioned flight deck with copies of US Today falling easily to hand and thank your lucky stars you're a pilot.

:yeahthat:

Add waiting tables to that list!