This essay comes from the desk of Ryan Gumm, President & CEO, Endeavor Air:

This week, several regional carriers announced news that pilots who sign on with their airline could earn “up to” $60,000 in their first year with the airline. While this proves that the health of the regional industry is strong, as well as a great place for a commercial pilot to start or continue his or her career, I feel compelled to offer up a bit of advice to those contemplating the next step in their career.

As you may have heard, a few weeks ago, we announced a first year combined compensation package of “more than” $60,000. I want to emphasis the “more than” because at Endeavor, our pilot pay comes with asterisks, but not the kind our competitors are dangling out there.

Our first-year pay of “more than” $60,000 is real cash, no contingencies or caveats dangling on a string to get you to that number. However, I need to tell you something, that number is a bit misleading. If you look at the average earnings of our pilots hired in August, 2016, they are on pace to earn an average of $63,456, with many projected to make “more than” $66,800 in their first twelve months with Endeavor. It’s a real possibility you could earn “more than” $70,000 in your first year on property with us.

We take pride in offering a competitive compensation package, but we love saying that we offer “more than” the money. For starters, Endeavor offers some of the highest performance reliability of any airline – regional or mainline. This year alone, Endeavor has recorded “more than” 295 days of 100% controllable completion factor – or days without a crew or maintenance cancellation. On top of that, as you read this, we’ve tallied “more than” 158 days of perfect completion factor.

We also offer a culture that respects you as the professional pilot you are. We value your experience and want to give you a set of wings you’re proud to wear. We know you have a choice in where you fly during this phase of your career, which is why our team does “more than” our competitors to ensure we deliver an environment that allows you to thrive. From the moment you meet our team during the interview process, your time at Endeavor will be “more than” just a stop along the way in your career.

Many of our competitors put qualifiers on their compensation packages. You need to have a qualification to earn the full signing or training bonus – sometimes leaving thousands of dollars on the table. We don’t believe that’s how professional pilots should be treated. We want all of our pilots to have the opportunity to earn “more than” just experience. Our goal is to set you up for a long, successful career with us and then, eventually, our mainline partner, Delta.

So, what does $60,000 in first-year pay get a pilot these days? At Endeavor, we’re proud to say “more than” you’ll find anywhere else. Thanks for considering a career with us. Hope to see you in class soon.

Best regards,

Ryan Gumm
President & CEO, Endeavor Air