Hello, I am a pilot for a regional airline and I am looking into Hawaiian airlines,
I mainly have one concern with being a pilot for HAL, how does one afford the cost of living in the area, especially just starting out with a low salary?
Nathan,
While this question might be directed towards an individual like @Adam. I don’t think things differ much from mainland to the ‘island’ such as roommates or crash pads etc. One of my former instructors at Piedmont went to the HAL side of things, is now a FO on the A330 and got himself an apartment/condo/similar to that, which he found a roommate to share some of the costs monthly with.
Brady
Nathan,
First year pay at Hawaiian is comparable to first year pay at most Majors ($80k+) which is FAR from low for an entry level position. While the COL is high in Hawaii, it’s no higher than NYC, Chicago, LA or Major city.
When I got here 1st year pay was a third of what it is now. How you make it work is called sacrifice.
Adam
1 Like
If my memory served correctly from months and years ago, didn’t you and Chris both like live off top-ramen or something very similar when you all started…I enjoyed many Wawa hoagies especially during hoagie-fest ($5) and PBJ’s (and the occasional Chick-fil-A) on the road while attending ATP.
Brady
Nathan,
It’s all about looking at the big picture. First year pay is nothing to scoff about. However, it’s one year with multiple raises in the future. Interview where you want to be, and if you’re hired, figure out the logistics to make it happen in the short term.
Hannah