Lowest Regional Airline Pilot Salary

[coa787]

Hello. Does anyone know what the lowest salary is that a regional airline pilot makes? What regional airlines are at the lower end of the salary chain? ...And be serious, don't say "all of them".

[WIPilot]

The lowest I am aware of, other than paying for training, is Great lakes.

[LoadMasterC141]

Right or wrong, flying Turboprops is low end. Piedmont, Colgan, etc....

Mesa is one of the lowest, if not the lowest, paying regionals.

Pay is NOT the most important thing, particularly starting pay. Some regionals pay great but have crappy contracts. Others have ridiculously long upgrade times. Be sure to look at everything in context rather than one single item, like pay.

Check out pay rates and other things at airline pilot central dot com. Don't go near the forums. They eat newbies for an afternoon snack.

[meritflyer]

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

Mesa is one of the lowest, if not the lowest, paying regionals.

Not even close actually. Look at TSA and Pinnacle.

[LoadMasterC141]

oops...yeah. Thanks. OK...MESA seems to be known as one of the worst to work for, and pays bad. At least that is what I get from all the posts here, and reading about them at APC and other places.

[Chris_Ford]

Piedmont's pay ain't that bad either... $26 first year?

[Fly4Pay]

Originally Posted by meritflyer

Not even close actually. Look at TSA and Pinnacle.

According to APC, going STRICTLY by hourly rate, Mesa FOs start at $19, Pinnacle at $21, and TSA at $22.

The "winner" of the title? Great Lakes at $16. Not sure that's such an honor, though...

[Snuggle]

Horizons prop pay is pretty good

[LoadMasterC141]

OK I meant...In general. Horizon has, or had maybe, the highest starting pay in the regional industry. Horizon is also known for one of the best contracts, QOL, and payscales in general......

They also have one of the worst upgrade times at 7-8 years, which is a great example of why I believe( I said "I" as in my opinion only) one needs to take everything into account when discussing how "good" a regional is to work for.

I know one pilot, who has blogged his whole 121/135 career, who could no longer stomach the FO longevity at Horizon and left for a street CA position at a certain E170/175 startup. (I am sure Velo has a comment or two about this one hehe)

[meritflyer]

Originally Posted by Fly4Pay

According to APC, going STRICTLY by hourly rate, Mesa FOs start at $19, Pinnacle at $21, and TSA at $22.

The "winner" of the title? Great Lakes at $16. Not sure that's such an honor, though...

Wait...

Mesa FO's on the jet earn $22 and some change. Skywest pays an ugly $19. Look at TSA and Pinnacle's year 2 pay and prepare to be grossed out.

[meritflyer]

Originally Posted by Snuggle

Those big RJ's should be making a lot more money. I guess we can call them low end as well.

Whatever helps you sleep better at night.

[Snuggle]

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

They also have one of the worst upgrade times at 7-8 years, which is a great example of why I believe( I said "I" as in my opinion only) one needs to take everything into account when discussing how "good" a regional is to work for.

I agree with you there, taking everything into account is important.


Edit: Deleted previous post as I don't want to spin thread off into a different direction.

[DeltaAVL]

Here ya go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RayMaswju1A

[ljg]

Strictly in terms of pay, first year really isn't important. The top of scale, and how quickly you reach top of scale is what counts.

[BobDDuck]

Originally Posted by ljg

Strictly in terms of pay, first year really isn't important. The top of scale, and how quickly you reach top of scale is what counts.

I would argue that at a regional, top of scale doesn't matter as much. Most people aren't going to be there that long, unless they are a lifer. I'd say about 20% of the pilot group where I am will ever see anything over 10 years (and our TOS is 18).

[ljg]

good point. I stand corrected.

[coa787]

I looked on airlinepilotcentral.com and I have one question; Under the salary chart on a selected airline's page, there is a pay calculator. What is credit time, that percentage under the hourly rate, and the bid periods. Thanks.

[PositionAndHold]

Originally Posted by meritflyer

Wait...

Mesa FO's on the jet earn $22 and some change. Skywest pays an ugly $19. Look at TSA and Pinnacle's year 2 pay and prepare to be grossed out.

Its all gross or ugly, Regional Airlines as a whole need to raise their pay. Just because you work at one with slightly better pay or work rules doesn't mean you're much better or worse off then the other ones. We should all be trying to help the others achieve better pay/QOL/Union.

TP or Jet, 19 pax or 300 hundred, if you go sliding off the end of the runway, I'm pretty sure it'll make CNN.

Like you said, what ever makes you sleep at night.


(Yes I do work at a regional, the same one you do)

Happy New

[LoadMasterC141]

Originally Posted by coa787

I looked on airlinepilotcentral.com and I have one question; Under the salary chart on a selected airline's page, there is a pay calculator. What is credit time, that percentage under the hourly rate, and the bid periods. Thanks.

OK...look at the monthly guarantee numbers below that. Whatever it is, use it for a modest estimate; it will tell you exactly how much you will be paid NO MATTER WHAT. Most are 70-75 hours. You can only fly 100 hours a month, so you can only make 25% more, right? Wrong....Now comes the pay for "Extra stuff" which I do not understand very well yet, not being a regional pilot(again, yet!). However, it seems for doing certain off schedule things, governed by each individual contract, one can fly at a higher rate. That is where the percentage comes in.

For now, just put in 100% and the guaranteed number of hours. Then change the calc to whatever rate you want.

If you change bid periods from 1 to 12, you will get an idea of average annual salary. Some airlines, like Xjet I believe, have 13 bid periods a year.

Finally, Per diem is another factor to add in. Not to sure how to calculate that. I just figured around $5k/yr to be modest and that is going off what other regional pilots have mentioned.

[schoolio]

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

Right or wrong, flying Turboprops is low end. Piedmont, Colgan, etc....

I'll say that's wrong.

Piedmont has one of the higher first year pay rates in the industry. As someone has already noted, Horizon has the highest. I'll leave my sarcastic comments out of this.

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

They also have one of the worst upgrade times at 7-8 years, which is a great example of why I believe( I said "I" as in my opinion only) one needs to take everything into account when discussing how "good" a regional is to work for.

I don't believe the original question asked about anything except pay. One only needs to search on here to find out who the #####ty regionals are. This question was about pay.

[coa787]

Originally Posted by schoolio

I don't believe the original question asked about anything except pay. One only needs to search on here to find out who the #####ty regionals are. This question was about pay.

That's true, my question was about pay, but any additional information is also welcome.

...And also, what is Per Diem?

[CRJDriver]

Wow! I just noticed that Mesaba F/Os are all paid the same. Gotta love flying that shiny CRJ-900 for $28/hr your second year...

[jynxyjoe]

Originally Posted by UND_Flyer

Wow! I just noticed that Mesaba F/Os are all paid the same. Gotta love flying that shiny CRJ-900 for $28/hr your second year...

the snapbacks will help the pay once the last one is on the property.

[LoadMasterC141]

I'll leave my sarcastic comments out of this.

I don't believe the original question asked about anything except pay. One only needs to search on here to find out who the #####ty regionals are. This question was about pay.

Originally Posted by coa787

That's true, my question was about pay, but any additional information is also welcome.

Seriously, I was just trying to help a fellow wannabe out with what I had read. Not trying to step on any toes. He is 17, new to the boards, and obviously trying to get better acquainted with the industry. He is asking a question I asked a few years back, but then some people helped me out and I began to understand pay is not everything, especially first year pay.
I was just trying to help him out.

I think TP guys should get paid more, but for the most part, it seems to me that they don't. Even if first year pay is high on some, the jets seem to quickly pass them in subesequent yearly compensation.

So Piedmont has $25 the first year. Sure that is pretty high. Second is $29 though. Xjet is $23 1st and $34 second. A 3 yr Pied -8 CA makes $54 while at Xjet the CA is making $65.

And then there is Horizon:
$29 hour the first year! While admirable, when that same happy F/O is at 7 years with no turbine PIC time, making $44/hr, while his counterpart at Republic passed that salary her third year when she made Captain, and has since gotten enough PIC time to move on to Southwest, well....thats' why I felt it important to explain how other factors 'COULD' come into play, even with pay.

[LoadMasterC141]

Originally Posted by coa787

..And also, what is Per Diem?

Per diem is a rate you get paid, I believe, for every hour you are away from your home base. Look at the very bottom of the page at APC you were on and you will see a per diem rate. Again, I am not 100% sure how it works so I was hoping someone other than me, the wannabe, could chime in and give a more accurate answer. Perhaps on some night other than New Years eve

While you are waiting, checkout this AWESOME synopsis JC'er Wheelsup did about salary and such.
http://forums.jetcareers.com/pro-pil...l-get-you.html