Verified answer

Rookie pilots fresh out of training start off as F/O on a regional airline and make about 18-30k a year (if luck) Once you graduate that and become a captain, our pay may increase to about 30k-50k per year.

After about 10 years with regional airlines, you should have enough time logged to fl as F/O for a major carrier. Those pilots make about 50k-100k per year, all depending on the airline and what you are flying.

Captains of major airlines will probably make about 80k-150k per year, and only those lucky enough flying 747s and A380s will make 200k, but those are the veteran pilots who have multi thousands of flight hours

Most regional airline co-pilots earn US$18,000 salary per year -

They sometimes qualified for "food stamps" in USA -

I was a 747 captain and pilot instructor "top pay" last 20 years of my career -

Never earned more than US$120,000 gross per year -

Do not forget to deduct income taxes and expenses -

I have heard that some pilots earn near $200,000/year -

They sometimes do, the last 5 years of their career -

Tax bracket some 35 to 50% -

Funny is, I never met one getting that salary -

Must be a few hundred senior guys out of 25,000 major airline pilots -

Check out Pro Pilot Magazine.

They had a salary survey for all types of Pilots in June or July 2011 issue.

The pay range is substantial, it varies from 25K to 250k depending on the operation.