# Living wage in the USA **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111 "2017-12-23T04:03:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/41 "2017-12-24T17:10:47Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > I was just thinking the same thing. If the company isn’t willing to file a petition for a work visa for you, and neither you nor your wife is a U.S. Citizen, the whole thing may be a non-starter. Even if they are, I have no idea what category would be appropriate- what are the education and experience requirements for the job? As the airline is clearly and actively recruiting non-US citizens for jobs, I’d have to believe that the company would be assisting in that process. OTOH, as you’re our resident expert on the topic, it’s an excellent point to consider. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/42 "2017-12-24T19:43:37Z")
Who would have guessed that Commercial Airline Pilot was one of the jobs that Americans Won’t Do? ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/43 "2017-12-24T21:35:12Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > You don’t have to have private health insurance here though you are encouraged to. If you earn over a certain amount then you pay an extra 2% in tax if you don’t have private insurance. Insurance for my family costs a touch over 500 AUD / month (~390 USD). I think the private system is a huge ripoff and would dearly love to put that money in to a personal account that I paid our medical bills from but the tax hit makes it not worth it. Remember that the US Medicare is for retirees only. Before that you pay cash, buy insurance or if employed, share insurance costs with your employer. Even with insurance, out of pocket costs can be significant. There is a reason that medical costs are cause of many bankruptcies in the US. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/44 "2017-12-24T21:58:00Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Remember that the US Medicare is for retirees only. “Retirees” here is misleading. If you are 65+ you can enroll in Medicare retired or not. (There are extra premiums if you don’t have enough SSI credit.) Even if you are under 65 you can get Medicare in certain circumstances: SSI disability, ALS, kidney failure. Unlike SS, there are no tax penalties for making noticeable money while on Medicare. It’s “mostly for seniors”. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/45 "2017-12-24T22:34:41Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > “Retirees” here is misleading. If you are 65+ you can enroll in Medicare retired or not. (There are extra premiums if you don’t have enough SSI credit.) Even if you are under 65 you can get Medicare in certain circumstances: SSI disability, ALS, kidney failure. > > Unlike SS, there are no tax penalties for making noticeable money while on Medicare. > > It’s “mostly for seniors”. True. The contrast I was trying to make, without the details, was that Australian system called Medicare is for all ages (at least as I understand it) and the OP might have assumed the same for our system. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/46 "2017-12-25T03:43:26Z")
Can we assume that OP has put the same question out on the various professional pilots’ message boards out there (of which there are several)? Be interesting to read their attitudes about OP’s question. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/47 "2017-12-25T11:17:45Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > I was just thinking the same thing. If the company isn’t willing to file a petition for a work visa for you, and neither you nor your wife is a U.S. Citizen, the whole thing may be a non-starter. Even if they are, I have no idea what category would be appropriate- what are the education and experience requirements for the job? > > Eva Luna, U.S. Immigration Paralegal It’s an E3 Visa. They’ve become available for Australian pilots recently as the US regionals struggle to fill their ranks. As for Europe, my partner is a British citizen which opens Europe up to both of us. I’m not sure how Brexit will factor into it but at present I believe we both have the right to live and work in the EU. > [@jasg](#): > > True. The contrast I was trying to make, without the details, was that Australian system called Medicare is for all ages (at least as I understand it) and the OP might have assumed the same for our system. Thanks. I’m aware of the broad differences between the systems. **Senegoid** , I’ve read discussions on PPRuNe about Australians going to work for the US regionals. Those forums tend towards a low signal / noise ratio though and can quickly devolve into arguments about who is stealing whose jobs. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/48 "2017-12-25T15:43:10Z")
IANA expert at PPRuNe, but the few times I’ve poked around there I’ve been appalled at the pitiful quality of discourse about damn near anything. Even the technical aviation stuff pilots are all supposed to know to a similar level of details and accuracy. Our union’s internal website’s messageboard is little better. It mostly seems to be a place for the anger addicts to vent their anger. All day every day. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/49 "2017-12-25T15:53:20Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Who would have guessed that Commercial Airline Pilot was one of the jobs that Americans Won’t Do? The US industry has always suffered from very spiky demand for pilots. Literally 15 years of hiring anyone who could steer an airplane followed by 15 years of turning away everyone, even the very few retiring NASA astronauts. There’s quite a pipeline to get from “Hey I want to learn to fly” to being hired to fly turboprops to being hired to fly RJs to being hired to fly Boeings. As well as it taking a lot of dollar outlay upfront. As a result of this accident [Colgan Air Flight 3407 - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colgan_Air_Flight_3407) Congress put a gigantic cork in the pipeline. Just now we’re approaching a crisis where the real oldsters (guys a few years older than me) are starting to retire in droves and the congressional crimp in the pipeline is just now fully biting, where only the merest trickle is passing out the “ready to start my airline career” gate. Something major is going to shift, and shift abruptly, within 5 years if not sooner. Before anyone asks, I’m not inclined to talk much here about the rest of the OP’s Q&A and the ructions in the industry. He and I already have a good convo going on off-stage. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2017, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111/50 "2017-12-26T08:29:07Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Before anyone asks, I’m not inclined to talk much here about the rest of the OP’s Q&A and the ructions in the industry. He and I already have a good convo going on off-stage. Got your PM thanks. Will respond tonight sometime. Christmas, kids, etc! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-wage-in-the-usa/805111.md?page=2)