:yeahthat:
I have to bring this thread up, as my first post, because I don't think I have EVER seen this put better. I have argued many times over in other forums, with pilots, trying to get this point across. Pilot pay is not as bad as it is made out to be, and there is a reason for low FO pay.
One BIG misconception some pilots have, is that people outside of aviation are typically making $2 and $300,000 per year. I hear pilots bring up, all of the time, their neighbor real estate agent, or friend who is in sales, who brings in $300,000 per year. The truth is, people making that kind of money make up such a small percentage of income earners in this country, they almost aren't even worth bringing up. The typical college educated person, in their career, will not make above the $60,000 to $80,000 per year mark, when their salary tops off. 95% or more of people, will not make more than that. Will some? Yes. But very few. Compare it to the FedEx or UPS captain making $250,000 per year. Is it possible to reach that point? Yes. But, only a few will reach that point.
Another big misconception among some pilots, is that people are typically seeing starting salaries, out of college, in the $50 to $60,000 per year range. While some may see that, the vast majority of people do not see over $40,000 as a starting salary in their career. AND, many of the fields that do offer high starting salaries, such as $50 to $60,000, do not top off much above that, in the end. For example, my sister is currently in college, majoring in pharmacy. Pharmacists are in big demand now. She can expect to see a starting salary anywhere in the $50 to $60 or even $70,000 per year range. HOWEVER, her salary will probably not top off above $80 to $90,000. Just because one sees a higher starting salary, doesn't mean they will see that salary double, or more, over time.
Pay progression is a really big point, that I think was explained VERY well in the quote above. Pilots typically progess in pay, much quicker than someone in another career. A regional pilot may make $25,000 their first year, and $30 to $40,000 their second year, which, again, $30 to $40,000 is no different than a typical starting salary out of college, but in a matter of a few years, with an upgrade to captain, they can see $70,000 to $80,000; senior captains at the regionals make even $90 to $100,000, depending on the airline. It takes most people their entire career before they finally see salaries that high. My Dad, for example, has two college degrees. He works in hospital administration. H has worked, for over 22 years, at this same hospital, managing 4 to 5 departments, and only in recent years saw $80,000 per year. $80,000 is actually a VERY good salary, that unfortunately, some pilots see as "underpaid".
There is no career that you can go into, that is going to make you "rich". There is no career that someone can go into, for the money. The average salary of a lawyer in this country, is $96,000. The average salary for a doctor is $216,000. The average salary for a CEO is $140,000. All of those are some of the highest paying jobs there are in this country. Yet, they are not outside of what a pilot could make in their career. And, that goes to show just how rare the extremely high income earners are. Think of the CEO's you've heard of making $millions, yet the average salary is $140,000. That shows how rare the $million dollar CEO is. And, CEO's often have masters degrees, and many, many years of experience, and time with a company, to get to that point. The same goes for lawyers. Think of how many $million, or $500,000 attorneys you hear of, yet the average salary is $96,000. That, again, shows how rare the higher paid ones are, that is doesn't bring the average way up. Or, that $300,000 real estate agent. The average real estate agent salary is $35,000, which means VERY few are making anywhere near $300,000. Just like you can't focus on the UPS captain making $250,000, and assume all pilots make that, you cannot just focus on someone outside of aviation, making $250,000, and think that all people in their career, our outside of aviation, are making that kind of money. Truth is, even if you spend your career at a regional, you will make as much, or more, than the typical career outside of aviation.
