Airline pilots or professional hired pilot answer this please.?

Question

Do airline pilots make the same amount wherever they live?

Meaning: If this is my second year as captain and I live in San Diego and I'm making $80,000 would someone else working for the same company who's also second year captian but he's living in Chicago also be making $80,000?

Answer 1

Why would the airline, any company for that matter, consider a pilot's choice of a place to live when writing out paychecks?

Answer 2

Pilots on the same equipment (type of aircraft), in the same seat (either Captain or First Officer), with the same longevity (years with the company) should earn the same hourly rate.

Unfortunately, in your question you are asking about a yearly salary, which could be different between the two hypothetical pilots in the first paragraph, if they work different numbers of hours during the year in question, which is very possible.

Perhaps some more details could help me answer your question.

Some companies offer a small amount of "cost of living" bonus to pilots based at some of their bases, but I don't think it's likely to cause a difference between San Diego and Chicago.

Answer 3

Never heard of that in Part 121, unless we're talking overseas bases for a US domestic airline.

Contract guys can get a signing bonus for working in "underdeveloped" areas as an inticment to get them there.

Corporate guys might have such a thing.