4 ms·

Perhaps because the pay is shitty? "she began her airline career with a regional carrier, where the starting salary can be less than $20,000 a year for a first

by ojbyrne 16y ago

Perhaps because the pay is shitty? "she began her airline career with a regional carrier, where the starting salary can be less than $20,000 a year for a first officer" I guess the real question, given that the article mentions up to $100k costs for training (unless you go for the government subsidized route - i.e. the military), is why is anyone an airline pilot?

bulte-rs 16y ago
In the EU it's more of the other way around... That pay can be good (starting salaries in the range of EUR4500 p/month are not exceptional at legacy airlines). It's just the fact that you pay 100K (euro's) for your education.
cletus 16y ago
Being a pilot is much like being a doctor (in the US at least). In the US, people go to college for 4 years (costing anywhere from a little to a lot) and then 4 years of medical school, costing even more. Before they've worked a day (not counting placement as medical students), a typical doctor-to-be may easily have over $100k in student loans or paid tuition. At that point they become interns/residents and earn less than waiters for several years. After that is when they make their money back. Depending on which specialty (if any) they may make it back in spades. Top-notch surgeons can clear $500k-$1m+ a year. Pilots in their early years are interns/residents. They've shelled out for their tuition, just like medical school, and now they're getting paid not in cash but in logged hours. After a few years those hours will translate to higher salaries. More: http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/06/16/pilot-pay-want-to-know-how-much-your-captain-earns/ http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/06/16/pilot-pay-want-to...
- vaksel 16y ago
  100K in student loans for a doctor? Not even close...that's what just a normal bachelor grad tends to have(well those that go to private schools). For a doctor, those numbers are much more closer to 250-300K. And that's not even the worst part...once they graduate and get their medical degree...they have to do their residency, which means they spend a few more years working for peanuts while their debt continues growing.
  - Retric 16y ago
    Your numbers are way off base. "Among graduating 4-year undergraduate students who applied for federal student aid, 86.3% borrowed to pay for their education and the average cumulative debt was $24,651. (For just federal student loan debt, excluding PLUS Loans, the figures are 61.6% and $17,878." Now, a small number of people get into huge amounts of debt but it's uncommon because normally it's irrational behavior. Going to a big name school is much like buying a Prada handbag there are upsides and a lot of social pressure to do so, but for most people it's simply a bad idea. PS: The best case for Harvard is vary good, but so is buying a lottery ticket. Once you consider a wider range of outcomes and risk vs reward things shift. EX: Consider what happens if you don't like being a Doctor?
dodo53 16y ago
Philip Greenspun has an interesting explanation of this (tldr - senior pilots run the unions). http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/unions-and-airlines http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/unions-and-airlines

by ojbyrne 16y ago

bulte-rs 16y ago

In the EU it's more of the other way around... That pay can be good (starting salaries in the range of EUR4500 p/month are not exceptional at legacy airlines). It's just the fact that you pay 100K (euro's) for your education.

cletus 16y ago

Being a pilot is much like being a doctor (in the US at least). In the US, people go to college for 4 years (costing anywhere from a little to a lot) and then 4 years of medical school, costing even more. Before they've worked a day (not counting placement as medical students), a typical doctor-to-be may easily have over $100k in student loans or paid tuition. At that point they become interns/residents and earn less than waiters for several years. After that is when they make their money back. Depending on which specialty (if any) they may make it back in spades. Top-notch surgeons can clear $500k-$1m+ a year. Pilots in their early years are interns/residents. They've shelled out for their tuition, just like medical school, and now they're getting paid not in cash but in logged hours. After a few years those hours will translate to higher salaries. More: http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/06/16/pilot-pay-want-to-know-how-much-your-captain-earns/ http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/06/16/pilot-pay-want-to...

vaksel 16y ago
100K in student loans for a doctor? Not even close...that's what just a normal bachelor grad tends to have(well those that go to private schools). For a doctor, those numbers are much more closer to 250-300K. And that's not even the worst part...once they graduate and get their medical degree...they have to do their residency, which means they spend a few more years working for peanuts while their debt continues growing.
- Retric 16y ago
  Your numbers are way off base. "Among graduating 4-year undergraduate students who applied for federal student aid, 86.3% borrowed to pay for their education and the average cumulative debt was $24,651. (For just federal student loan debt, excluding PLUS Loans, the figures are 61.6% and $17,878." Now, a small number of people get into huge amounts of debt but it's uncommon because normally it's irrational behavior. Going to a big name school is much like buying a Prada handbag there are upsides and a lot of social pressure to do so, but for most people it's simply a bad idea. PS: The best case for Harvard is vary good, but so is buying a lottery ticket. Once you consider a wider range of outcomes and risk vs reward things shift. EX: Consider what happens if you don't like being a Doctor?

dodo53 16y ago

Philip Greenspun has an interesting explanation of this (tldr - senior pilots run the unions). http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/unions-and-airlines http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/unions-and-airlines