How many years to 100K?

mbav8r · Post by **mbav8r** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:52 am

year 1: 18,000
year 2: 24,000
year 3: 30,000
year 4: 48,000
year 5: 70,000 as C.P
year 6: laid off,company bankrupt
year 7: driving truck because no flying jobs to be had
year 8: still driving truck making about 60k
year 9: flying Ho for shady operator making 40-45k(pay was above standard because of the abuse)
year 10:54,000 for C.P of start-up company, part way through year 10 driving truck again(lots of broken promises on employers behalf.)
year 11:45,000
year 12:45,000 but after 5 years should be 80k
so if I'm still a present company, in about 4 years I could crack 80 with overtime.
That's assuming I don't start over somewhere else. So at year 16, still won't crack 100k.

Four1oh · Post by **Four1oh** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:31 am

man, this thread should be required reading for the wanna-be's

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:32 am

Yeah, anyone that thinks being a pilot is the inside track to a six digit T4 is an idiot.

There are far, far easier ways to make money than aviation.

HighBypass · Post by **HighBypass** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 12:10 am

Doesen't a 16year Ski-doo captain at Jizz max out at $100K??? LOL.

Correct me if im wrong.

I think its hilarious.

Roger Perdactor.

ettw · Post by **ettw** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:30 am

Well I have to say that the poll is pretty optomistic.

I think in the end you should be getting into this job because you want to fly airplanes not because you want to make 100k/yr. If that is your focus then go do something else like being a lawyer etc. If you come to this industry having written yourself a cheque for 100k dated 10 years down the road then you're gonna be very disappointed and the cheque is gonna bounce!

Cheers,

ETTW

Golden Flyer · Post by **Golden Flyer** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:41 am

I think the years in this poll should be extended beyond 10

Dockjock · Post by **Dockjock** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:41 am

I'll add some colour as mbav8r did

year 1: $15,200 Student, C180 floats
year 2: $15,300 C180/DH2 floats, laid off, C172 traffic patrol
year 3: $22,500 C172 traffic, C208 F/O
year 4: $32,900 C208 captain
year 5: $27,300 C208 captain, laid off, C208 amphibs, laid off, B1900 F/O
year 6: $28,200 B1900 F/O
year 7: $37,400 B1900 F/O, captain
year 8: $41,000 B1900 captain, EMJ F/O
year 9: $37,300 EMJ F/O (this year)
year 10: $42,700 EMJ F/O (next year)
year 11: there are 3 scenarios 1) $115,000 EMJ captain 2) $80,000 A320 F/O 3) $25,000 strike, laid off, working at Home Depot

Quite depressing to lay it all out like this

, but surprisingly with a supportive girlfriend then wife, we've paid the bills and had a lot of fun along the way.

N2 · Post by N2 » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:55 pm

Shit I thought it was how much crack did you have to sell to make 100K per year!

zero · Post by **zero** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:09 pm

Wow...glad I went the float route.

Eventhough it's still a seasonal gig for me, pay scales if I were year round work out to over half way to 100K after only 3yrs flying floats and 6 with my CPL. Be nice to hear from other float guys, there seems to be a lack of complaints coming from our specialty from which I might assume people are happy with their wage. Not a hard job and enjoyable most of the time...it took me over 10yrs to get to this point in my last profession, BTW. No complaints here.

v6g · Post by **v6g** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:39 pm

Looks like I'll be packing my bags for Europe to get started in this industry....

Boeing Driver · Post by **Boeing Driver** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:42 pm

This is my 10th year making a living as a pilot, and I will be cracking the 100K mark including my per diems.

Cheers!

leftcoaster · Post by **leftcoaster** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:23 pm

12th year RJ Captain, 19 years working in industry. Haven't broke 100 yet.

JohnnyHotRocks · Post by **JohnnyHotRocks** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:36 am

Do your perdiems show up on your T4? I don't know if you should count them...

Dockjock · Post by **Dockjock** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:55 am

zero,
You are deluding yourself into thinking you make a "factored" 100K just because you make nearly half that for a half year's work. We're talking T4 money from flying...to me it's irrelevant how many months work it took to make what you make; you're still out of work for half the year. Not saying you're doing anything wrong but 50K isn't 100K no matter what kind of math you try to apply to it.

flyinphil · Post by **flyinphil** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:43 am

year $$ Type
1 4k C-180
2 6K DHC-2
3 18K D18S
4 15K C-206
5 18k C-402
6 22K PA31T
7 14K Bizjet
8-10 24k Bizjet
11 32k A310
12 28K Bizjet
13 42K Bizjet
14-17 55K Bizjet
18-20 78K Bizjet
21-24 87K Bizjet
25 125K Bizjet
26 130k Bizjet
27 0
28 40k Bizjet
29-30 100K Bizjet
31-34 160K Bizjet

zero · Post by **zero** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 6:52 pm

Dockjock, you should re-read my statement...maybe twice if you're dyslexic.

If I were to work year round this year, which is a good possibility, then I would be more than halfway to 100K at my current wage...hope that helps. Not saying 50K is 100K, thanks for stating the obvious, and I won't be making 100K any time soon but after seeing what some of the wheeled guys are making after 10-15 years in the industry I'm relieved I chose the route I did...and so is the wife.

stuckmike · Post by **stuckmike** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:46 pm

started flying 2001

saved pennies

bought house in 2004

still making pennies flying.

house doubled, no end in sight.

there are much easier ways to make money than to rely on aviation.

cheers

northeast canuck · Post by **northeast canuck** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:04 am

Took me a couple of years to make $100K, and now 10 years later am making >$200K. And yes, there is a Porsche on my drive. Had to leave Canada though. If you want to fly heavy equipment and make lots of money come to Europe. Problem: The ever greater need to return home to Canada. I would give up the Porsche, but cannot convince the family to survive on the slave wages that are paid there!

Dockjock · Post by **Dockjock** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:01 am

Sorry zero, you lost me. If you were to work the whole year, you would be halfway to 100K? Is that a really complicated way of saying you make 25K per year? Whatever floats your plane I guess...

Fama Volat · Post by **Fama Volat** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 6:16 pm

Started in 1987

Year 1: $12,000 - Flight instructor
Year 2: $20,000 - Flight instructor and B727 SO
Year 3: $18,000 - B727 SO
Year 4: $24,000 - B727 SO and SW2 FO
Year 5: $28,000 - SW2 FO
Year 6: $32,000 – SW2 FO/ Capt
Year 7: $36,000 – SW2 Capt / B727 FO (4800 hours when upgraded to B727 FO)
Year 8: $48,000 – B727 FO
Year 9: $54,000 – B727 FO
Year 10: $68,000 – B727 FO / Capt (6500 hours when upgraded to B727 Capt)
Year 11: $ 88,000 – B727 Capt
Year 12: $130,000 - B727 Capt European Contract
Year 13: $130,000 - B727 Capt European Contract
Year 14: $150,000 - B727 Capt European Contract
Year 15: $94,000 - B727 Capt (returned to Canada due family issues)
Year 16: $ 98,000 - B727 Capt
Year 17: $102.000 - B727 Capt
Year 18: $75,000 - B727 Capt (Company goes bankrupt last half of the year)

Year 19: $54,000 – B767 FO
Year 20: $62000 – B767 FO

You will notice that I did not make over $100K in Canada until Year 17. Had I stayed with the company I was with at year 11, I would have been earning over $100k in year 14. You’ll notice that I am now in my 20th year of flying and am now earning roughly the same money as 10 years ago. The only job I had that paid real money was...you guessed it...not in Canada.

Canadian aviation is not a place for those who think it is the fast track to big money. It is especially difficult for those that have been involved with the numerous operations that failed. I have several friends that have been through at least 5 bankruptcies, having to start at the bottom pay scale of yet another company every time. Such is the way of the land in Canadian aviation. You just have to hope that the cards you were dealt were winners. I consider myself particularly lucky having only experienced one bankruptcy.

Sideshow · Post by **Sideshow** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:54 am

Well this has been a very interesting post! I guess on the plus side there ARE people making over 100k.

Go CANUCKS!

invertedattitude · Post by **invertedattitude** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:14 am

If you want to make 100K quick, you're going to have to sit on the ground, with unmatched benefits and leave packages to any airline. Damn shame, and fly for fun on your days off...

All that being said, when I'm hanging out at the airport, there are times I wish I was eating KD again and starting out as an F/O on a 1900 or something.

Flying is my first love, but supporting and raising a family has to take priority somewhere, and I'm more than happy at the route I've chosen for now.

ivanhoe · Post by **ivanhoe** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 7:17 am

It took 16 years to 100k for me. 150k in 2 more and then went to Westjet.

All the way back to 40k. It took 3years to get back to 100k. Last couple of years 200k+

Jaques Strappe · Post by **Jaques Strappe** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:35 pm

1 1987 12K Various singles
2 1988 12k C402
3 1989 30K C421 and PA46
4 1990 28K MU2
5 1991 30K MU2
6 1992 36K MU2
7 1993 39K MU2
7 1994 31K DHC8
8 1995 45K BAe146
9 1996 45K DC9
10 1997 75K DC9
11 1998 96K EA32
12 1999 106K EA32
13 2000 110K EA32
14 2001 160K DC9
15 2002 160K DC9
16 2003 144K B767
17 2004 138K B767
18 2005 140K EMJ
19 2006 142K EMJ

Not sure the poll is all that accurate. You could make 100K tomorrow if you fly the right cargo. In the end, it all comes down to being in the right place at the right time. That can happen faster for some and take longer for others.

Howdy · Post by **Howdy** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:40 pm

All figures in Australian Dollars. So you have to do the exchange. Jaques is right, It's all abbout the right place at the right time. Only my airline Career starting at year 4 of my aviation career.

Year 1 $2K (training)
year 2 $24K
year 3 $57K
year 4 $84K
Year 5 $98K
year 6 $100K
Year 7 $109K
Year 8 $132K
year 9 $132K
this year should be much the same. So really in Canadian dollars it was year 12. Not a bad run really.

How many years to 100K?

Pilot question: After how many years flying (after being commercial licensed) did you make 100K(T4)?

JIZZ

Too Long to 100K