The tighty righties are having a hissy fit on Twitter over this United Airlines announcement:

[ck4829]

52. "That's shocking" is what I said too

You really have to love what you do, or be exceedingly patient, to consider becoming a regional airline pilot.

Aviation consultant Kit Darby says regional airline co-pilots and pilots, in the lower ranks, at least, don’t make a living wage.

In fact, the mechanic at your local gas station, or even the taxi driver who drives along the streets of your town, sometimes taking trips of a longer duration than regional flights, may be pulling down more cash per hour than the bottom rungs of first officers, i.e. co-pilots, at regional airlines.

Most view their service on regional airlines as an apprenticeship or stepping-stone to a big payday at mainline airlines. The exception is the top ranks of the regional airline pilots, where captains with 15 years’ experience can earn $100,000 to $110,000 per year, Darby says.

https://skift.com/2013/08/28/the-u-s-airline-pilots-who-barely-make-minimum-wage/

The next time you’re flying in an airplane consider this: The person operating the aircraft might not be making much more than the person who made the Egg McMuffin you ate for breakfast.

That’s right. According to the Wall Street Journal, new airline pilots rank among the lowest-paid workers in the country, with some regional pilots earning as little as $15,000 per year.

That’s horrifying for a number of obvious reasons. For one, $15,000 — or even $22,400 a year, the starting salary for pilots at 14 regional airlines — is lower than the federal poverty line for a family of four in the U.S.

It’s also startling because of the extraordinary price of becoming a pilot in the first place. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, airline pilots usually need a bachelor’s degree, a pilot’s license, and certification that requires hundreds of hours of flight training. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the cost of training flights alone can set you back more than $100,000.

No wonder there’s a shortage of pilots.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pilots-minimum-wage_n_4775989

It's anecdotal, but I have also heard tales of pilots living in absolutely cramped conditions, squalor even, with 8-12 other pilots in apartments not meant for 8-12 people when they're all not working.