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this worst thing about trying to become an airline pilot is the costs
bachelor's degree for major airlines as the end goal (in anything, doesn't matter the major, they just want you to have one because boomers): probably around $30 grand in debt
flight training: can range from $50-90 grand for all the ratings necessary
from there however, after the college debt and probable additional loan debt for the training, you have to timebuild to 1500 flights hours before qualifying for the certificate that ALLOWS you to fly a commerical jet
so you're spending up to 2 years, sometimes more depending on life/world events running on $40 grand a year salary max if you choose to be a starving flight instructor (fastest way to timebuild)
and then once you get the ATPC you apply to a bunch of regionals and hope one of them takes you
once you hopefully get taken (don't forget- a lot of the airline shit is LUCK BASED, in regards to being hired and also being kept on after you're hired- i.e., not being dropped or downgraded over the slightest economic bumps) you have to grind on a questionable salary for like 2-3 years before upgrading
then once you upgrade to captain at a regional, your flight time finally matters to the majors (PIC time in a turbofan engine aircraft). at least you're making alright money now. salary still won't be as much as the original training cost though. build that time for 2-3 years and hope that at least one major thinks you're good enough to hire
from there just hope you upgrade in like 12 years or some shit- or, hope you don't get crushed in the downsize next time there's an asian flu epidemic or maybe retards like AOC achieve total power and shit out policies that gut airlines so you get cut out
and don't forget, every step of the way all the way up to finally becoming an FO at a major you were dedicating your fucking life to this shit, so if you had a life/friends/gf/etc. you probably lost it- also pilots divorce A LOT so that prob won't improve
