Ten most overpaid jobs in the U.S.- Pilot

SierraPilot123

Well-Known Member
Probably a repost since the article is dated in 2003, but new to me and maybe others. I had a few friends e-mail me the article.

What a joke!: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/sto...-F953-43F3-BBC8-63D351A3BF2A}&dist=TNMostRead


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"9) Major airline pilots
While American and United pilots recently took pay cuts, senior captains earn as much as $250,000 a year at Delta, and their counterparts at other major airlines still earn about $150,000 to $215,000 - several times pilot pay at regional carriers - for a job that technology has made almost fully automated.
By comparison, senior pilots make up to 40 percent less at low-fare carriers like Jet Blue and Southwest, though some enjoy favorable perks like stock options. That helps explain why their employers are profitable while several of the majors are still teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
The pilot's unions are the most powerful in the industry. They demand premium pay as if still in the glory days of long-gone Pan Am and TWA, rather than the cutthroat, deregulated market of under-$200 coast-to-coast roundtrips. In what amounts to a per-passenger commission, the larger the plane, the more they earn - even though it takes little more skill to pilot a jumbo jet. It's as much the airplane mechanics who hold our fate in their hands."
 
for a job that technology has made almost fully automated.

Ok, so for the most part the "manual labor" involved in flying has been largely automated (that is, the tasks that could be performed by monkeys). That's not what pilots are paid for. They're paid to shoulder the responsiblility for hundreds of lives behind them, and make the best decisions in the face of many variables that a computer doesn't have the judgment to take into account.
 
Some journalists need a dose of reality, and facts. Last I checked the SWA guys were the best paid narrowbody operators and the Cargo folks made more than most of the 121 major pax carriers. O well, can't fix stupid:crazy:.
 
While I'm not fan of the airline unions one of my "major airline" buddies said something that I thought was quite poignant: "There are about 15 minutes each year when I earn every cent of my pay."
 
How about the most self-important professions? I'll start. Writer for Marketwatch! :)
 
a wise man once told me "you get paid for who you know, not what you do" :D

...'a good lawyer knows the law; a great lawyer knows the judge' :bandit:

Ahh.... Even better :)

senior captains earn as much as $250,000 a year at Delta, and their counterparts at other major airlines still earn about $150,000 to $215,000 - several times pilot pay at regional carriers - for a job that technology has made almost fully automated.

However isn't this essentially true? While the article bashes what pilots at the majors make they highlight a great point, that regional pilots don't make squat!
 
Maybe this article will help put to bed the notion that anyone cares about understanding "The Profession". As far as the public is concerned we might as well be talking about the minutiae of vacuum cleaner sales. So screw the public, because they will most assuredly screw you if given the opportunity.
 
So screw the public, because they will most assuredly screw you if given the opportunity.

But gee, I thought that we as pilots were highly respected professionals.
bullwinkle.jpg
 
Probably a repost since the article is dated in 2003, but new to me and maybe others. I had a few friends e-mail me the article.

What a joke!: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/sto...-F953-43F3-BBC8-63D351A3BF2A}&dist=TNMostRead


------------

"9) Major airline pilots
While American and United pilots recently took pay cuts, senior captains earn as much as $250,000 a year at Delta, and their counterparts at other major airlines still earn about $150,000 to $215,000 - several times pilot pay at regional carriers - for a job that technology has made almost fully automated.
By comparison, senior pilots make up to 40 percent less at low-fare carriers like Jet Blue and Southwest, though some enjoy favorable perks like stock options. That helps explain why their employers are profitable while several of the majors are still teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
The pilot's unions are the most powerful in the industry. They demand premium pay as if still in the glory days of long-gone Pan Am and TWA, rather than the cutthroat, deregulated market of under-$200 coast-to-coast roundtrips. In what amounts to a per-passenger commission, the larger the plane, the more they earn - even though it takes little more skill to pilot a jumbo jet. It's as much the airplane mechanics who hold our fate in their hands."

Articles like this are the reason that I have to explain to people why I drive a Saturn, am concerned about gas prices and don't have a yacht parked in the caymans. If I have to tell someone that not all pilots make over 100k per year one more time I think I'm going to have a stroke.
 
If you look in terms of supply and demand, he's correct - but that's a road we've been down before on here...

From a passenger standpoint, I'd rather see the senior 747 captain make $100k less, and the regional FO make $10k more.
 
I bet you any of us can write a half fast right or wrong article, that most American would believe, however, bet you anything he can't get in any of our airplanes and even half fast fly, much less shot an approach. The problem in my humble opinion is that we are too good at what we do and the public has gotten used to flying being safe.
 
Guys, guys, guys.

Here's a question for you.

Why do you care?

Seriously.

Who gives a crap whether people think you're overpaid or not? Do you think Madonna and A-Rod are thinking when they're banging each other that there's someone sweeping the floors in the lobby who's working harder than they do and making $40K a year?

I don't think so.

Do your job, cash your paycheck, try to make it bigger, and if people think it's too big, that's their problem, not yours.
 
Do your job, cash your paycheck, try to make it bigger, and if people think it's too big, that's their problem, not yours.

S'actly.

I used to get all bent out of shape, but realized that there's just a certain group of people that think everyone ELSE is overpaid, except them.

I even told a guy once, "If it's so easy and so vastly overpaid (even after the double paycuts)", why haven't you applied to become a pilot?"
 
Guys, guys, guys.

Here's a question for you.

Why do you care?

Seriously.

Who gives a crap whether people think you're overpaid or not? Do you think Madonna and A-Rod are thinking when they're banging each other that there's someone sweeping the floors in the lobby who's working harder than they do and making $40K a year?

I don't think so.

Do your job, cash your paycheck, try to make it bigger, and if people think it's too big, that's their problem, not yours.

Yes it is a problem and why we care. Two years ago the FAA pulled a campaign to make the public believe that air traffic controllers get paid TOO MUCH and they were successful in getting the public on their side. NOW air traffic controllers are being paid 30% less than they should be getting paid. Do you want that to happen to pilots, flight attendents, etc???
 
I think we're trying to figure out why we're so underpaid at the bottom. Then an article like this comes out and it makes us think that maybe these sorts of public opinions could go towards lowering the pay at the top that we're all holding out so badly for.
 
Yes it is a problem and why we care. Two years ago the FAA pulled a campaign to make the public believe that air traffic controllers get paid TOO MUCH and they were successful in getting the public on their side. NOW air traffic controllers are being paid 30% less than they should be getting paid. Do you want that to happen to pilots, flight attendents, etc???

Umm, it kinda already went down.
 
Yes it is a problem and why we care. Two years ago the FAA pulled a campaign to make the public believe that air traffic controllers get paid TOO MUCH and they were successful in getting the public on their side. NOW air traffic controllers are being paid 30% less than they should be getting paid. Do you want that to happen to pilots, flight attendents, etc???

That's different.

Who owns the FAA?

We, the people.

Who owns the airlines?

Their creditors. Yes, I know I should say the stockholders but let's be honest, unless the creditors are willing to extend capital to the airlines, they're finished.

So why does that matter?

Because the FAA eventually has to answer to the people. So if people think their employees are overpaid, that matters.

With a private employer, it's different. It doesn't matter what John Q. Public thinks about the pay scale of their employees. He can't affect it.

People say that athletes are overpaid.

Do you think that matters to Greg Maddux, who's going to take home $10 million this year?

I guarantee you that if people knew what kind of work I do and how I'm compensated, they'd say I'm overpaid.

Know what?

My employer doesn't give a damn and I don't either. So it's all good. My employer wants me to be motivated and happy so that I drive revenue and they are willing to pay me for it.

The public can think I'm overpaid all they want but as long as I keep on hitting my numbers and driving revenue, the only people who matter -- my employer and me -- don't care.
 
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