Looking for a little career advice...

[ThomasK-ID-609]

Hello Roger,
My name is Tom. I'm a high school math teacher in Idaho. I flight instruct on the side for fun and extra cash. I really enjoy flying and am considering a career move in the next three years. I have some concerns though. First, at almost thirty years old, am I too old to get into the airline scene and make progress? Second, what wages can I expect? When I look at different websites, the numbers are really all over the place. I just need to know that I can provide a comfortable living for my family on a pilot's salary. Finally, what is the job market like out there for pilots? How can I get the edge I will need to secure employment?
Thanks,
Tom

[ExpressJet Roger]

Well Tom, it is great to meet you. I can see you enjoy flying so much that you are willing to give up that glamorous career as a teacher. I am of course joking; I personally think teaching is a noble endeavor and should be compensated much greater than they are financially.

As far as the airlines go, since you’re considering a switch, NO you’re not too old. I was almost 40 years old when I started. However, there are a few things that I guess you already understand. First, while the pay is not great you do have the potential of making a decent living later maybe 15 to 20 years down the road. Second, security is not something I think anyone could ever say this industry was able to give a pilot. If your goal is to provide for a family (always a good thing for a person to put at the top of their list), the airlines may not be the place for you. Regardless of how the industry is today (up, down, hiring or furlough), it will change again within five to ten years. I always joke that this industry hires until it furloughs with no steady state to speak of. I was just talking to my captain yesterday about this. Being at our level, one of the things we are doing is always looking at the next airline (since ideally it will be our next and last move). We both agreed that the top airline today could be the scariest tomorrow and the one that no one wants to visit let alone work becomes the dream job to have. A great example of this is Southwest. Pilots were made fun of because they chose to work for them. Of course we all know, 15 years later their the ones laughing now. But trust me when I tell you, no one laughs too loud because the industry really does change that quickly.

As far pay goes, the easiest way to figure out how much you’re going to make is take the hourly wage and add three zeros behind that number. In other words, $22 per hours you should expect to make $22,000 per year. Remember you can only work a max of 100 hours per month and a 1000 hours per year, and I have tried hard to max out both and have yet to be successful at it. Now every airline will pay different, with the majors paying the best. Obviously the more experience required to get the job, the better the pay.

Hope this helps.
Roger