Airlines Face Acute Shortage of Pilots

[Duncan Idaho]

Pff, if you want to make good money go be a lineman for the power companies. Low 70s is above average but that's about it, most pilots make more than that. Everyone's always complaining about money in this industry but it's not that bad. Fly for three years and you're in the 70's, unless you manage it poorly / won't leave home. Not to say that you have to leave home, it just helps. But I mean, even 703 guys can break 70 with a couple seasons behind them. And why shouldn't it take a couple seasons ... we can start and finish school, work three years and go chief pilot before some other professionals even get licenced.

[yycflyguy]

Glad it worked out for you Duncan Idaho. Not everyone was as fortunate to break 70k a year. Took me 14+ years to break it and I left "home" almost immediately to chase jobs. There are economic and cycles in aviation. If you set out during the bottom of a cycle you can can stuck with an absence of opportunities and pay.

[shimmydampner]

+1
It's great when someone with a horseshoe up their arse beaks off about how much money they made in short order, as though it's just as simple as doing what they did. It's not. If the stars aligned for you and things came easy, good for you, but that's all it was. Success in this industry is 25% work ethic and attitude, 25% connections and 50% right place, right time (aka: luck). Those $70k jobs for 703 pilots with 2 whole years under their belts are few and far between to say the least. Certainly not enough for everyone, so regardless of how hard some might work, how well they "manage" it or how fast and far they may go from home, they will not be so lucky.

[Jack In The Box]

That one hits home. I've always wanted to fly for a career. I still do!

However, after getting another promotion within 2 years of graduating university (I found a great entry level job in the mid 50's as soon as I graduated), now sitting in the low-mid 70s, I know if I make that switch i'm going to be broke.

CPL licensed, working on the ME, then the MEIFR.

Lol, I'm not sure I'm correct but I'm interpreting this post as though you're buying the original article? If so...maybe nice this thread a read first. If not, my mistake.

Not saying don't make the switch, just be aware of what's truth and what's not.

[DaveC]

No, I was more so referring to some of the other comments regarding what could potentially create a pilot shortage (no one can afford to do it)

Sorry for being unclear!