UPS, FedEx Tops in Pilot Pay

[cheryl]

UPS, FedEx Tops in Pilot Pay - The Street

A new survey shows that pilots at overnight cargo carriers FedEx and UPS command the highest salaries among the 11 largest U.S. airlines, while pilots at US Airways are the lowest paid.

The discrepancies reflect trends that have shaped airline pay patterns since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, including a round of bankruptcies that enabled reduced costs at passenger airlines and a unique battle between pilots at US Airways, as well as society's increasing reliance on the overnight carrier duopoly.

 

[unionman]

UPS, FedEx Tops in Pilot Pay - The Street
A new survey shows that pilots at overnight cargo carriers FedEx and UPS command the highest salaries among the 11 largest U.S. airlines, while pilots at US Airways are the lowest paid.

The discrepancies reflect trends that have shaped airline pay patterns since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, including a round of bankruptcies that enabled reduced costs at passenger airlines and a unique battle between pilots at US Airways, as well as society's increasing reliance on the overnight carrier duopoly.

Rebecca Shaw, the first officer on the Colgan Air flight, flying as Continental Connection, that crashed near Buffalo, N.Y., in February, killing all on board, had worked 13 months for Colgan and earned $23,900 annually, the carrier has said. Initially, National Transportation Safety Board investigators had said she earned $16,000 annually.
Nevertheless, the airline industry's high safety standards are threatened by a reduced salary structure, says Gentile. "Far fewer pilots (are) looking for commercial airline jobs," he says. "Today, when given career choices, both experienced pilots and young individuals breaking in have difficulty justifying the financial sacrifice."

With all of the divorces and the days with no sleep this career field is dead. For the few that made it to UPS or FEDX, they got lucky. The mechanics are the same, they travel across the country like gipsies only to be laid off time and time again.