Most regional airlines offer large signing and retention bonuses after as little as two years, plus second year salaries are leaps above first year. Comparing them to $12.50 an hour jobs with little/no growth opportunities is a poor comparison. When you take average tenure and bonuses into account the lowest paid regional pilot is $43 an hour at Great Lakes, the second lowest is $50. https://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/articles/job-search-articles/pilot-salaries-in-2017-which-airline-will-have-the-highest-pay.html

Gone are the days of low pilot pay.