Regional Pilot Salaries

[wheelsup]

Here is a web site that was created for a project ASA's union is doing to try and collect information regarding pilot salaries at other regional carriers.

It's interesting to see what some of the senior guys are making. There is an right year XJET CA making $110k/yr . Crazy.

[GaTechKid]

website is ?

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by GaTechKid

website is ?

Oops...

http://www.asacrew.com/store/results.php

I was surprised to see Colgan right up at the top - a 1st year FO there made $2350/month...that's a lot higher than I was expecting. He must've flown quite a bit.

[BobDDuck]

That's amazing. I am working for a company that has the lowest 1st year pay by almost $500 and flies one of the biggest planes listed. Nice.

[USMC-SGT]

How many bid periods are in a year?

Am i correct in assuming 13 (365 days divided by 28 day bid period equals approx 13 bid periods) If i am not correct than my averages are off and you should not even read the rest of this post.

If that is correct than according to this chart against popular belief it is possible to be a regional pilot and live on more than bread and water.

That one Xjet Capt. with 8 years is making a little over 120k per year gross.

The average first year FO pay is just under 27k (i did not include the $885.00 because that would only average to roughly 12 dollars per hour on a 75 hour guarantee)

At the 4.5 year mark the average jumps up to just over 79k gross yearly income.

Do not jump down my throat or attack my post with "but, and wait! and nooooo and other responses of the like" i just found it interesting that if you work over the minimum guaranteed hours the pay works out to be considerably more than if you just go on the companies sites, and than take the 4 year captain pay and multiply that by the guaranteed hours and than multiply that by 13 bid periods in a year.

I am only basing my numbers and observations off of the numbers in that link...

[Alchemy]

Yeah....the pay at XJET isn't too bad....I've taken home about 10k over the past 3 months, after taxes, not including 5% I've dumped into the 401K. That's second year FO pay.

Nothing to brag about, but it's liveable at the 2nd year level. I try to work 100 hours/month though. Deadheads and other soft time can help out quite a bit.

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by Alchemy

Yeah....the pay at XJET isn't too bad....I've taken home about 10k over the past 3 months, after taxes, not including 5% I've dumped into the 401K. That's second year FO pay.

Nothing to brag about, but it's liveable at the 2nd year level. I try to work 100 hours/month though. Deadheads and other soft time can help out quite a bit.

Holy crap - that's insane. What were your average FAR block and Credit hours to take home $3,300? Even with say $500.00 a month in per diem I would think you'd have to be crediting well over 120 hours/month. That's a LOT of soft time.

Typically, for take home pay with deductions, I take home about 65% of my gross pay, and that's in the tax bracket of first year pay.

If you want to help ASA out, go to http://asacrew.com/store/payrate.php and fill out the survery.

[Alchemy]

I've been averaging 95+ FAR block, about 110 hours of pay credit per month. The 500/month per diem is accurate, although I realize you shouldn't count that. It looks like I'm taking home closer to 75% of my gross pay after taxes and deductions. For the first half of the year I've grossed 20.5k.

Oh yeah, the 10k figure is for my last 7 paychecks, so I guess that's more like 3 and a half months.

[CapnJim]

Yeah, I can't really bitch either. XJet is a good company, no doubt.
I can't do the 100 hour thing. I'm wore out by the end. But I live plenty happy on ~85 hours, plus overs.

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by Alchemy

I've been averaging 95+ FAR block, about 110 hours of pay credit per month. The 500/month per diem is accurate, although I realize you shouldn't count that. It looks like I'm taking home closer to 75% of my gross pay after taxes and deductions. For the first half of the year I've grossed 20.5k.

Oh yeah, the 10k figure is for my last 7 paychecks, so I guess that's more like 3 and a half months.

I guess I would take home more like 70%-75% but I put 12% in my 401(k).

Still, if I was at second year pay, at $34.86/hr, it would be hard to get over 100 hours credit while still making a lot of per diem. US Air doesn't build very efficent schedules .

Hopefully we will win the arbitration, which would put second year pay around $40/hr.

[frog_flyer]

anyone see that someone put in as a mesa first year f/o?


3 dollar monthly gross
lol!

[GaTechKid]

That Colgan FO must have picked up some open time in order to boost that pay credit up. I've picked up an open day the past two months and it usually adds 8-10 hours extra since they have to deadhead me out of the Northeast Backwoods. My monthly gross #'s have ranged from $1575-$2700+.

[Kingairer]

I make ONE HUNDRED MILLLLION DOLLLARS!

[USMC-SGT]

Originally Posted by GaTechKid

That Colgan FO must have picked up some open time in order to boost that pay credit up. I've picked up an open day the past two months and it usually adds 8-10 hours extra since they have to deadhead me out of the Northeast Backwoods. My monthly gross #'s have ranged from $1575-$2700+.

Where abouts in the backwoods are you from? I am from NH. Anywhere around those parts or not THAT backwoods? Just curious as i may find myself in the luxurious commuter pool soon also.

[mrivc211]

people fighting for peanuts.

[Ophir]

Originally Posted by mrivc211

people fighting for peanuts.

What are you talking about? You're a Captain now, you must be rich! Me, I'm a poo FO.

Ever notice how FO and Po rhythm?

[surreal1221]

Would anyone mind educating me on the defination of "soft" time?

Thanks for your patience

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by surreal1221

Would anyone mind educating me on the defination of "soft" time?

Thanks for your patience

"Soft time", or at least what I call "soft time", is essentially getting paid for something without actually flying. Notice I say "flying" not working, although one could get paid for trips if you are taken off them. Here that is rare.

Essentially, you have to distinguish between "flying time" or FAR Block time and "Credit Time" which is how much you credit for a month, which is what your pay is based off of.

Generally your biggest soft time increases come from picking up flying on a day off. Most places you get 150% of your block time for the day, so if picked up a 3-day trip worth 15 hours you would actually get paid 22.5 hours, picking up 7.5 hours of 'soft' time. Now lets say you had a line with a credit of only 65 hours that month. That entire 22.5 hours gets added ABOVE your min guarantee of say 75 hours. So now you are getting paid for 97.5 hours (75+22.5=97.5) but actually working 80 (65+15=80). Duty and Trip rigs also factor into this sometimes.

Last month, I FAR Blocked 85 hours but ended up getting paid for 106 (with only one 1:05 dead head nonetheless). I essentially had 20 hours of 'soft' time.

My best month so far was a 40 hour FAR Block month but 101 credit. Some captains I fly with have 150+ credit hours per month. Obviously less than 100 of that is spent flying.

[killbilly]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

My best month so far was a 40 hour FAR Block month but 101 credit. Some captains I fly with have 150+ credit hours per month. Obviously less than 100 of that is spent flying.

Y'know, in light of this, flying for a regional the first year doesn't sound NEARLY as bad as I thought it might be in terms of pay/compensation.

[RPM]

Why does some of the peoples pay vary SO much?? Same company, same year, same payrate... How are some of these people making 2 - 3 thousand dollars a "MONTH" more at the same company and payrate???????? Or some of the more senior guys are making 2k less a month than guys 2 years lower than them???

I can understand picking up extra flying but NOT $2,000 - $3,000 worth a month???

I think guys are filling out the form wrong.

[surreal1221]

Thanks for the explination Wheelsup.

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by killbilly

Y'know, in light of this, flying for a regional the first year doesn't sound NEARLY as bad as I thought it might be in terms of pay/compensation.

Sorta - keep in mind there are people out there, even working for the same company at their same level of pay, who will see vastly different pay checks.

I will see around $2950 gross this month (including per diem, $2540 if you don't want to include it and just assume you eat for free for 2/3 of the month) as a first year FO, but if I was on reserve I would see almost half of that. Just an FYI.

It's a crapshoot. Timing is absolutely EVERYTHING in this industry.

And as someone else mentioned in a different thread, once (if!) I make it to second year pay I will see more money but a stagnent career because I will be logging more SIC time which is worth pretty much nothing at my level.

[frog_flyer]

i think its funny that colgan pay rates are pretty similar to most other regionals and they fly half the seats


food for thought

[kellwolf]

Right now, I'm sitting around getting my 75 hour guarantee, but I'm begging for the phone to ring? Why? I get 75 hours no matter what (they tend to not over-fly the reserve guys), but if I don't get any trips, no per diem for me. Like wheelsup, I tend to use that money on things other than food (like the electricity bill, water bill, etc). There are a lot of trips that have a lot more time away from base than others, which can seriously up your pay. I hit the lotto last month when they had me sit in a hotel room in MSP for four days. That was four days of per diem (was over 100 hours) since I was away from MEM.

[GaTechKid]

The only similar payrate Colgan has to other regionals is for a 1st year FO. Everything above that is significantly lower.