Does anyone have job security under today’s economy? I would have to say no. I would also have to say airline pilots have less job security than other professionals. The airline seniority system partially protects pilots and their job position within a particular airline, but if that airline does not survive, then that airline pilot is going to have a very hard time finding another job. An airline pilot who has to start over because his airline failed means that pilot will have to start at the bottom of the seniority list of another airline.
Airlines have come and gone and I believe this will happen more often in the future. Over the last few years, some of the airlines that have come and gone are Atlantic Coast Airlines, TWA, Aloha and there’s more. Most of the airline pilots that were part of these groups have probably found other jobs and moved on. I do know a few TWA pilots who were not merged into the American Airlines pilot seniority list at the same level they held at TWA. Those pilots are not working for American Airlines at this time and the recall is not looking very good right now. They have had to move on to new careers and other pilot jobs and many may never go to American by choice. The couple of TWA pilots I can think of are not making the kind of money they would be making if TWA continued to operate or if they were merged into the American pilot list based on date of hire.
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Consider almost any other professional and I think their job security is better than an airline pilot’s job. Take for example a person who has a college degree and maybe a master’s in a computer field. The reason I say a master’s degree is that a pilot not only has to have a college degree, but the experience and training required to attain a descent airline job is at least the equivalent to getting a master’s degree.
A person with a master’s degree in a computer related field makes a very good salary. A person with a master’s degree starts out around $100,000. A computer expert with a master’s degree can also find a job of the same level or high if their company goes under or if he wants to leave. A pilot at Delta first year makes less than $50,000. First year lawyer is an average of $85,000.
Not only are these professionals making more money, but their job security is much better. I also consider how mobile a person is with their career to be part of job security. Companies will come and go, but if a person, like a computer expert, can take their skills and find another job easily, then that is job security.
An airline pilot is a highly trained person, as highly trained as most professionals. An airline pilot career just don’t provide the flexibility to take those valuable skills to another company easily.
Flying airplanes if fun and exciting. If you love it and can put up with the lack of job security, then by all means be an airline pilot. If you love to do something else that can pay well and have better job security, then you have a choice. Providing for your family and trying to keep a consistent income is very important. Lack of job security has put a lot of stress on families over the years.
Don’t do something you don’t like just to have security, try to find a balance. At Airlinepilotfacts.com we are here to provide the facts about the airline pilot career and what the airline pilot job is like. You have to make the choice.
