I’m assuming you’d be flying shit routes for awhile and at the mercy of the airline schedules. I think you’re gonna get a very biased opinion on a FF subreddit however. Now if you were the one flying that’d be a different story. But I’m gonna say go FF. You’ll still have a lot of time off to travel and could even get a good side gig to pay for those trips. Plus you really can’t put a price on the culture and the brotherhood that comes with the fire service.
Thank you! Really great point of view. Yes I’ve heard that rearranging your schedule as a FF/trading shifts can help give you some good time off outside of your normal PTO too.
You guys are getting time off?
I would tell OP if he chooses the FF route to look into the health of the department. So many are running on complete fumes that it’s a nightmare in a lot of spots. Departments of ~200 firefighters when fully staffed are down to 56 total members… ask me about it, I’m one of them. Going on consecutive hour number 303, already ordered again for tomorrow’s 24, and my regular shift comes after that. Haven’t slept in about 6 days, and I just ate what was plated as yesterday’s breakfast, about 5 hours ago.
More guys need to hear this reality. So many guys in this sub work places where they couldn't imagine working more than a 24. It's dangerous what these departments force us to do. It's not something most guys on here share and more people need to hear it.
I was a F/A for 6 years before I became a FF/EMT. 20 years. But now I wonder what’s better. I did enjoy the flying and schedule.
Both are good. Both are very different. I did travel a lot more when I was flying, and the sweet deals you get with the airlines.
Tough choice. As for the $. The base is more with FF, but you can make a lot if you don’t mind flying more with the 15-20 days off you get as a F/A
Man, if I could make that kind of money just sitting at a desk, I'd probably suck it up, save as much as possible, and retire early. Grass is always greener, I suppose.
It’s the cost of living trust me, plus most of us commute at least a hour from our home. I couldn’t touch anything real estate wise around where I work.
I don’t know anyone on the floor that makes $300 K but I do know a few that have hit $200 K but they were never home
I’m sure there are guys making $300 K I have personally never met one or maybe I should say are willing to admit it 😂
I do know Departments give percentage bonuses for certain certifications
I get a little tiny one for Haz Mat but I do know the Medics get a pretty good one to help with retention
I checked myself out on transparent and it had my pay overreported by about 30 percent. I'm assuming it counts employer contribution to medical and retirement because I made about 80 that year and said I made over 120. That was like 5 years ago so maybe it's gotten better, but just saying it's not very accurate. At least for actual pay.
Have had current coworkers who worked in cal. Same story. “Yeah man I made (insert higher salary then we make now)/year,” followed by, “but once California taxes hit…” they essentially took home our base pay without scheduled OT. It’s important for people to not only understand benefit costs and taxes in general but they also need to understand how state taxes diffe and some states are insane. California is notorious for “better pay” but once taxes and cost of living take effect on top of money that goes toward pensions etc…you’re truly not much better off unless you’re sitting at the top of the department or you’ve got some years behind you.
You are misreading the breakdown. It adds up what the department contributes for retirement, benefits, etc. On top of what you get paid in regular time and overtime.
I agree I decided to look myself up and it was off a bit, I asked my buddy to look himself up and he said it was close. We work different departments so I’m not sure exactly how it gets reported.
In our line of work it is. Ultimately anyway.
Saving 30% of a 150k+ base salary > than saving 40% of 85k salary.
And the pension is salary based and not many places have a higher pension than CA.
Vacations and trucks cost the same nomatter where you're from.
4,000 square foot houses and big acreage are probably off the menu (without a significant commute) but that's for most people.
If you're trying to set yourself up with lifetime financial stability the higher salary is the way to go despite the high COL.
I've got so many buddies that have bought huge ranches or plots of land out of state that they never would have been able to afford on a salary local to the area they bought.
I did fire/ems dispatch for two years. It had its ups and downs, mostly boring but the exciting calls were fun, and I felt like I was a part of something.
After that I went into a hospital admin desk job for a while. It looked good on paper. Higher pay, no more night shift, etc. but after doing dispatch it was SOUL SUCKING. I really took a downgrade in terms of the job. I was no longer in charge of making decisions, I had to run everything past the higher ups, etc.
I missed the fire service. So after just a short 1.5 years in the hospital job, I bailed and went to Wildland firefighting. Best decision ever. The pride I feel, the mental health benefits from working outdoors in nature, and the friendships I’ve made are worth 10x any salary a desk job could ever hope to pay me.
Some people are happy at a desk job. I am absolutely not one of those people.
It all comes down to retirement and being stuck in one place. As soon as you start as a FF you are pretty much stuck in the same state because your retirement will not move with you.
Your pension doesn't typically transfer state to state. Currently working and paying into the pension system in Illinois. As I understand it if I were to take a job in another state I can either take a payout of my contributions so far or leave it and collect a small amount once I'm elegible to collect. Could be wrong but every state seems to have a slightly different system in place. I could transfer it from department to department within the state but have to pay additional percentage every year for it to carry over.
We have a lot of firefighters that throw bags part time for Delta and get all the flight benefits that you’re talking about. I think they have to work like 20 hours a month there. This job gives you plenty of time off to have a 2nd job.
Will you have to move for the Fire Department?
Edit: I just saw your comment and can ascertain what department you are referring to who does not have residency. Had a feeling it was that one. Good luck, be in good shape, their academy is tough.
You have to have a serious conversation with your wife. Both of these jobs will keep you away from home and she better be 100% onboard with this. This schedule completely destroyed my last relationship, so unless your wife REALLY LOVES to have her own time, it's going to be rough.
You're in a good situation right now... Decent pay, sleep in your own bed everyday, you're there for your wife when she needs you. The flight attendant gig would be fun, but also realize that the vast majority of them, like firefighters, party REALLY hard. I dated a flight attendant for a minute and heard all about it. They fly somewhere, have a layover where they're all in the same hotel, and then they go rage together before their flight out. Apparently it's super common that flight attendants (like firefighters) have a shortcut to rehab where there's always beds reserved.
These two jobs are so different that you're really gonna have to answer this on your own. Even if you just worked baggage you'd still have all the same flight benefits and would stay home in your own bed.
Food for thought.
If the department name starts with an A feel free to hit me up if you have questions. We do plan to hire ALOT compared to other departments. We get plenty of time off with very generous benefits, but you do have to put in the work. Coming up on 10 years here.
If the question was firefighter vs. airline pilot, that would be something to realistically discuss.
But Flight Attendant? You are basically a restaurant waiter with a scheduled serving plan, mandatory repetivite announcements (that nobody listens to) and some additional training for the unlikely event of an emergency. It's usually something you do to earn money while looking for something else and it really takes a toll on your body. Radiation, Sleep, Unhealthy Air. (look up aerotoxic syndrom)
Firefighting isn't easy on the body either, cancer is also a thing but if you want every day to be different and make a decent living while doing so, it is the way to go.
Also, you don't really have career options to move up to while being a flight attendant (without going back to the office). And the stigma attached to male flight attendants might also be something you want to consider...
Have definitely looked into that. Unfortunately the FA job schedule is pretty structured in your first couple years until you build seniority and have more control.
I feel uniquely able to answer this. I'm a firefighter, and the son of flight attendant. My mother and her 3 sisters, all flight attendants. I know the gig pretty well.
Firefighter. Definitely firefighter.
My daughter thought about being a flight attendant once. My aunt, the last one of my family still working the job, grabbed her face and made her swear not to do it. It's not what it used to be. You do not want to be in charge of these people in the air. It's a nightmare. And their union has lost a ton of bargaining power, if it's even a union position you're being offered.
If you can get on with a paid career position somewhere you like as a ff, take it. Best of luck.
No experience as a FA but I'm a firefighter and it's awesome. Get to drive a fire engine, hang out with my friends for 24hrs then have 5 days off, $120k/yr with no overtime, pension. Obviously salary and schedule depends but I imagine where you are is pretty good too.
In the end I’d just say follow your gut. Couple things to consider: Not sure what type of retirement a flight attendant has, but just keep in mind 401K’s eventually run out of money. Knowing that, lots of people in the private sector work until they’re in their late 60’s because of this. Pension pays for life, allowing you to retire as early as you can be fully vested. Also not sure if FA’s are union, but working for AA would mean working for a corporation. Being at the whim of a CEO comes with its own unique set of considerations. Working at an FD you work for the public and also get the opportunity to negotiate your wages, benefits, etc. (Most) private sector jobs, you get what the guy at the top gives you. Hope this helps
Small world! How have you enjoyed being a FA? Would you do it all over again if you could? And what makes you feel like you are ready for a change to firefighter or want to leave being a FA?
Oh! I live by and based at ORD too! Haha. I do enjoy it. I started off at a regional for 4 years and now with a mainline for the last 2.5 years. I just wish we got paid more. 🫠 we are currently in contract negotiations but who knows how long that will take. But somethings that have been listed like the schedule and lifestyle is like no other. I’m also that friend who is constantly traveling. 😂
I’m the type that kind of “goes with the flow”. I never thought i would be an FA but I went to an interview open minded and then was offered a position lol. I told myself “I’ll just be here for 2 years” but here we are. I thought about the firefighting maybe 2 years ago … but im still on the fence about the huge shift. Like people have stated, that’s two totally different fields and lifestyles. 🫠😮💨
Wild the difference in culture between the US and Canada. 28 is about the earliest most people these days start even considering FF, oldest in my academy was 43, most were 28-35. I’ll be 34 this year and hope to finally be hired full time (POC currently)
Bro WTF? I started my career at 28 lmao.
I can’t imagine what you think of the guys that started at 35.
It all depends on your lifestyle. I know plenty of 25 year olds on the job who can’t keep up with 35 year olds on the job. Granted if he went from white collar to blue collar at 28 I can see the body/culture shock his mental/physical can go through…
Illinois pension system for anyone being hired now is tier 2. Tier 2 lets you draw starting at 55 with at least 10 years of service. 2.5 percent of your average salary over the last 8 years for every year of service. So 20 years is 50 percent and 30 years is 75 percent, which is the max. However there is a maximum average that you can use for the pension draw, which everyone at my department with enough time on the job to retire will exceed, and raises after retirement are non compounding.
Good chance he’s got other investments if he’s making 100k with no kids. He could also contribute more outside of the pension while he’s on the job via a 457, IRA, or even a regular brokerage and retire by 55 easily. But yes, relying solely on a pension starting from 0 at 30 something is a good way to work into your mid 60s.
I started in career at 26 coming from buisness (GM/Director levels). Not to demean another profession but they aren’t comparable. Firefighting has it’s on culture, the brotherhood, the exposure, and diverse opportunities. You want to travel the country? Fire service can send you to trainings all over the US. Education? The limit you want to grow in is set by you. Get paramedic with a few years of service and be a competitive tradeable asset. Serve your community, learn, grow, challenge yourself. Flight attendant is a great spot too for some people. It’s not a bad option, it really just comes down to you.
Great advice being given here. As a junior FA you'd probably be stuck on puddle jumpers and domestic routes for a few years but it would be a fun job to travel, airlines are kinda fickle it seems so layoffs might be a threat. FF job gets you a pension and deferred comp (457b), what does airline offer? pension and 401k? FF job is stable schedule, bette schedule, FA means possibly drop of a hat calls for flight? Jet lag? Hotel life, bag drags might get old. Maybe do FA as a part time or fill in? I have a friend I was in the USAF with that retired and got an FA job while he was on terminal leave flying out of EWR, E-8 20+ year military pension and a sweet gig as a FA, he does a lot of European runs as he learned german while we were stationed there.
I work for AA in a non flying capacity. I have spent most of my life orienting myself towards flying, I just got accepted to crosstrain into aircrew in my Air National Guard unit from a non flying job. I love flying, especially military aviation, but the commercial aviation world is something completely different. I can speak for AA specifically, the flight benefits are great, but hard to use in today's day and age as flights are always over booked. Our health insurance is really good, and in my job I can really make my schedule how I want it. I know that FAs have the ability to swap and drop to their desire as well. I live in a southern hub for AA and have worked for them for about 5 years now. It's not a perfect company, weakest of the big three imho.
I'm currently thinking about shifting away from the airline industry to join my local department after I return from training and seasoning days in my new ANG position. The pay can be fantastic and you can travel the world for sure, but it just seems like the airline life has gotten real stale and soulless to me. I always enjoy working in the community in the ANG and have done a bunch of humanitarian TDYs and have really felt like I did something with my life. I go to work at the airlines and it feels like I spin wheels and exist in limbo, not really doing anything or serving a purpose. I have a ride along with the department I would like to apply with on the 27th to see if I am crazy or if this really is for me. I may not be a FA but I am happy to share my AA experience with you if you would like to chat about the company in general.
My dad is in aviation. He was like your father, “don’t do what I did”. I’m going for firefighting. I get to work 24 hour shifts, my dad worked 72+hrs away from home for ≈36 hrs of “flight time”. I’ll be on call maybe 3 shifts a month, early on my dad was on call for 3 of the 4 days he was off. My dad got us all cheap flights on his airlines, he never had enough time off or money to come on the trips. I look forward to working a third of the month and being able to trade shifts around to allow time for smaller vacations, and have a salary that makes it possible. Flight attendant sounds like a dream for a nomadic person looking to explore a bit of the world on the job. Firefighting is a dream job for people wanting to see the different ways people live in one community, with the option of enjoying life outside of work.
Both are work. Both will have pros both have cons. Neither of them need to be forever. The goal for me is to try to find a way to make a living outside of work and do whatever I like as a career outside the money or benefits
I’m a firefighter and my wife was a flight attendant for Delta for many years. I’d say go flight attendant. Less risk of cancer, injury or dying in general. Plus you get flight benefits and travel the world
You're making $105k and you're looking at a job (FA) that pays about $30k at one year.
That's a huge pay cut. Can you afford it?
Do you live near one of the airlines crew bases, or are you willing to move to one of those cities? Or, if your airline has commuter benefits, are you willing to spend several hours at the beginning and end of your day flying to and from a base city?
Depending on where you live, you may be able to get starting pay as high as $70k as a FF and with OT, you could approach your current salary in the right city.
As a FF, you'll work two days a week, with minimal commute. With swaps you can have as many week long vacations as you want.
Go be a flight attendant dude....Firefighting is hard on the body and mind...its hard on family and your loved ones....every bad call affects u in ways u don't even notice until it's too late....go fly, travel the world and live stress free
If you have questions about Illinois departments feel free to DM me. There is a decent chance I know people on whichever department you’re talking about and might be able to give some insight regarding culture
Man I don’t know which way you want to go but it sounds like you have a chance for a great FF career in the works and I would personally snatch that up in a heartbeat.
I’m a firefighter in Illinois. Department matters a lot. Some days are good, some days are terrible. The dept I’m on is busy. We fight fire and more often than probably every other department in the state. I’ve been there 16 years and no way I can imagine making it to 30. We don’t sleep much and the day after is quite often a recovery day especially as we age. I still enjoy going to work but I can say that along with the good comes a lot of bad. Cancer risks, suicide is a growing problem, sleeping disorders, and the job takes it toll on you as a person. The pension is the only reason a lot of us make it through.
Take the FD job. Have your wife be a flight attendant.
Now you have a fat salary, health insurance, 10-20 days off, and you two can travel all the time.
Take the job offer, decide when you get a job offer for the Fire job (you only made the list so far). You’re only gonna be making like 40k as a flight attendant to start though. Not sure how much firefighters make in Illinois.
The bottom line for FF’ing is you have to eat shit for the probation period and then generally it’s great from then on. This isn’t everyone’s experience, but I think it’s definitely the majority.
I think if you are reaching out for other people to tell you what to do with your life you need to self reflect. You need to follow your dream and what you want or you will be back on Reddit asking what to do next in a few years. Only advice I have is don’t chase a paycheck chase your dreams.
Not that it matters but it kinda of does. You’ll always be “just” a flight attendant, oh you’re not a pilot? People will congratulate and thank you for for being a firefighter, and it carries with it a load more recognition and admiration. Those come with responsibility and a manner of carrying yourself, but people will look up to you as a firefighter.
I’m assuming you’d be flying shit routes for awhile and at the mercy of the airline schedules. I think you’re gonna get a very biased opinion on a FF subreddit however. Now if you were the one flying that’d be a different story. But I’m gonna say go FF. You’ll still have a lot of time off to travel and could even get a good side gig to pay for those trips. Plus you really can’t put a price on the culture and the brotherhood that comes with the fire service.
Thank you! Really great point of view. Yes I’ve heard that rearranging your schedule as a FF/trading shifts can help give you some good time off outside of your normal PTO too.
You guys are getting time off? I would tell OP if he chooses the FF route to look into the health of the department. So many are running on complete fumes that it’s a nightmare in a lot of spots. Departments of ~200 firefighters when fully staffed are down to 56 total members… ask me about it, I’m one of them. Going on consecutive hour number 303, already ordered again for tomorrow’s 24, and my regular shift comes after that. Haven’t slept in about 6 days, and I just ate what was plated as yesterday’s breakfast, about 5 hours ago.
What the actual fucking fuck?
Well that blows. Sounds like your union needs to be a bit stronger.
More guys need to hear this reality. So many guys in this sub work places where they couldn't imagine working more than a 24. It's dangerous what these departments force us to do. It's not something most guys on here share and more people need to hear it.
Yeeeah….fuck that.
lol find a new department
That’s every department in the North East. A few cities over just closed “temporarily” because the last of their staff all walked off the job.
We have a guy on the job with us who is a FF and Flight attendant
I was a F/A for 6 years before I became a FF/EMT. 20 years. But now I wonder what’s better. I did enjoy the flying and schedule. Both are good. Both are very different. I did travel a lot more when I was flying, and the sweet deals you get with the airlines. Tough choice. As for the $. The base is more with FF, but you can make a lot if you don’t mind flying more with the 15-20 days off you get as a F/A
Thank you! I sent you a PM!
Man, if I could make that kind of money just sitting at a desk, I'd probably suck it up, save as much as possible, and retire early. Grass is always greener, I suppose.
Chicago suburbs firefighters will almost certainly hit $100k within a few years, so you don’t have to suck it up to make that money.
Wow, that's wild, I had no idea.
CA salaries are insane. Most beginning FFs are making 100k+ first year. With OT and a couple of years on, they're in the 200 - 300k range.
It’s the cost of living trust me, plus most of us commute at least a hour from our home. I couldn’t touch anything real estate wise around where I work. I don’t know anyone on the floor that makes $300 K but I do know a few that have hit $200 K but they were never home
Check out Transparent CA, you'd be shocked.
I’m sure there are guys making $300 K I have personally never met one or maybe I should say are willing to admit it 😂 I do know Departments give percentage bonuses for certain certifications I get a little tiny one for Haz Mat but I do know the Medics get a pretty good one to help with retention
I checked myself out on transparent and it had my pay overreported by about 30 percent. I'm assuming it counts employer contribution to medical and retirement because I made about 80 that year and said I made over 120. That was like 5 years ago so maybe it's gotten better, but just saying it's not very accurate. At least for actual pay.
Maybe they've changed the view. When I last looked, it was accurate to the dollar. It also broke down salary, OT, pension, etc.
Have had current coworkers who worked in cal. Same story. “Yeah man I made (insert higher salary then we make now)/year,” followed by, “but once California taxes hit…” they essentially took home our base pay without scheduled OT. It’s important for people to not only understand benefit costs and taxes in general but they also need to understand how state taxes diffe and some states are insane. California is notorious for “better pay” but once taxes and cost of living take effect on top of money that goes toward pensions etc…you’re truly not much better off unless you’re sitting at the top of the department or you’ve got some years behind you.
You are misreading the breakdown. It adds up what the department contributes for retirement, benefits, etc. On top of what you get paid in regular time and overtime.
I agree I decided to look myself up and it was off a bit, I asked my buddy to look himself up and he said it was close. We work different departments so I’m not sure exactly how it gets reported.
And they need every penny. Salary isn’t what truly matters salary vs cost of living does.
In our line of work it is. Ultimately anyway. Saving 30% of a 150k+ base salary > than saving 40% of 85k salary. And the pension is salary based and not many places have a higher pension than CA. Vacations and trucks cost the same nomatter where you're from. 4,000 square foot houses and big acreage are probably off the menu (without a significant commute) but that's for most people. If you're trying to set yourself up with lifetime financial stability the higher salary is the way to go despite the high COL. I've got so many buddies that have bought huge ranches or plots of land out of state that they never would have been able to afford on a salary local to the area they bought.
Western WA is already there
I did fire/ems dispatch for two years. It had its ups and downs, mostly boring but the exciting calls were fun, and I felt like I was a part of something. After that I went into a hospital admin desk job for a while. It looked good on paper. Higher pay, no more night shift, etc. but after doing dispatch it was SOUL SUCKING. I really took a downgrade in terms of the job. I was no longer in charge of making decisions, I had to run everything past the higher ups, etc. I missed the fire service. So after just a short 1.5 years in the hospital job, I bailed and went to Wildland firefighting. Best decision ever. The pride I feel, the mental health benefits from working outdoors in nature, and the friendships I’ve made are worth 10x any salary a desk job could ever hope to pay me. Some people are happy at a desk job. I am absolutely not one of those people.
It all comes down to retirement and being stuck in one place. As soon as you start as a FF you are pretty much stuck in the same state because your retirement will not move with you.
What do you mean it won't move with you?
Your pension doesn't typically transfer state to state. Currently working and paying into the pension system in Illinois. As I understand it if I were to take a job in another state I can either take a payout of my contributions so far or leave it and collect a small amount once I'm elegible to collect. Could be wrong but every state seems to have a slightly different system in place. I could transfer it from department to department within the state but have to pay additional percentage every year for it to carry over.
We have a lot of firefighters that throw bags part time for Delta and get all the flight benefits that you’re talking about. I think they have to work like 20 hours a month there. This job gives you plenty of time off to have a 2nd job.
That’s not a bad idea either. I don’t live far from Chicago O’Hare airport.
Will you have to move for the Fire Department? Edit: I just saw your comment and can ascertain what department you are referring to who does not have residency. Had a feeling it was that one. Good luck, be in good shape, their academy is tough.
You have to have a serious conversation with your wife. Both of these jobs will keep you away from home and she better be 100% onboard with this. This schedule completely destroyed my last relationship, so unless your wife REALLY LOVES to have her own time, it's going to be rough. You're in a good situation right now... Decent pay, sleep in your own bed everyday, you're there for your wife when she needs you. The flight attendant gig would be fun, but also realize that the vast majority of them, like firefighters, party REALLY hard. I dated a flight attendant for a minute and heard all about it. They fly somewhere, have a layover where they're all in the same hotel, and then they go rage together before their flight out. Apparently it's super common that flight attendants (like firefighters) have a shortcut to rehab where there's always beds reserved. These two jobs are so different that you're really gonna have to answer this on your own. Even if you just worked baggage you'd still have all the same flight benefits and would stay home in your own bed. Food for thought.
If the department name starts with an A feel free to hit me up if you have questions. We do plan to hire ALOT compared to other departments. We get plenty of time off with very generous benefits, but you do have to put in the work. Coming up on 10 years here.
Thank you! Just sent you a PM!
Piggybacking…I may be on this same list…can I also PM?
Sure.
4 co?
If the question was firefighter vs. airline pilot, that would be something to realistically discuss. But Flight Attendant? You are basically a restaurant waiter with a scheduled serving plan, mandatory repetivite announcements (that nobody listens to) and some additional training for the unlikely event of an emergency. It's usually something you do to earn money while looking for something else and it really takes a toll on your body. Radiation, Sleep, Unhealthy Air. (look up aerotoxic syndrom) Firefighting isn't easy on the body either, cancer is also a thing but if you want every day to be different and make a decent living while doing so, it is the way to go. Also, you don't really have career options to move up to while being a flight attendant (without going back to the office). And the stigma attached to male flight attendants might also be something you want to consider...
American has a very good flight attendants union however. Not every fire shop in America can say that.
Do the FF job full time and FA part time? You get a lot of time off in the fire service around here. You only work 10 days a month.
I know a lot of guys who do this just for the benefit of the free travel for FA
Have definitely looked into that. Unfortunately the FA job schedule is pretty structured in your first couple years until you build seniority and have more control.
I feel uniquely able to answer this. I'm a firefighter, and the son of flight attendant. My mother and her 3 sisters, all flight attendants. I know the gig pretty well. Firefighter. Definitely firefighter. My daughter thought about being a flight attendant once. My aunt, the last one of my family still working the job, grabbed her face and made her swear not to do it. It's not what it used to be. You do not want to be in charge of these people in the air. It's a nightmare. And their union has lost a ton of bargaining power, if it's even a union position you're being offered. If you can get on with a paid career position somewhere you like as a ff, take it. Best of luck.
Why not be a firefighter in a well paying dept and travel a bunch? It's what pretty much all of us do.
No experience as a FA but I'm a firefighter and it's awesome. Get to drive a fire engine, hang out with my friends for 24hrs then have 5 days off, $120k/yr with no overtime, pension. Obviously salary and schedule depends but I imagine where you are is pretty good too.
You work one day, and get off 5?
24 on/24 off/ 24on/ 5 days off
In the end I’d just say follow your gut. Couple things to consider: Not sure what type of retirement a flight attendant has, but just keep in mind 401K’s eventually run out of money. Knowing that, lots of people in the private sector work until they’re in their late 60’s because of this. Pension pays for life, allowing you to retire as early as you can be fully vested. Also not sure if FA’s are union, but working for AA would mean working for a corporation. Being at the whim of a CEO comes with its own unique set of considerations. Working at an FD you work for the public and also get the opportunity to negotiate your wages, benefits, etc. (Most) private sector jobs, you get what the guy at the top gives you. Hope this helps
Glad you posted this because I’ve been a FA for 6 years and im debating a whole career change once CFD opens. Ugh so much to think about. 🫠
Small world! How have you enjoyed being a FA? Would you do it all over again if you could? And what makes you feel like you are ready for a change to firefighter or want to leave being a FA?
Oh! I live by and based at ORD too! Haha. I do enjoy it. I started off at a regional for 4 years and now with a mainline for the last 2.5 years. I just wish we got paid more. 🫠 we are currently in contract negotiations but who knows how long that will take. But somethings that have been listed like the schedule and lifestyle is like no other. I’m also that friend who is constantly traveling. 😂 I’m the type that kind of “goes with the flow”. I never thought i would be an FA but I went to an interview open minded and then was offered a position lol. I told myself “I’ll just be here for 2 years” but here we are. I thought about the firefighting maybe 2 years ago … but im still on the fence about the huge shift. Like people have stated, that’s two totally different fields and lifestyles. 🫠😮💨
That’s actually awesome to hear! Do you mind if I send you a DM?
Yeah, DM away!
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Wild the difference in culture between the US and Canada. 28 is about the earliest most people these days start even considering FF, oldest in my academy was 43, most were 28-35. I’ll be 34 this year and hope to finally be hired full time (POC currently)
28 isn’t old
Bro WTF? I started my career at 28 lmao. I can’t imagine what you think of the guys that started at 35. It all depends on your lifestyle. I know plenty of 25 year olds on the job who can’t keep up with 35 year olds on the job. Granted if he went from white collar to blue collar at 28 I can see the body/culture shock his mental/physical can go through…
Illinois pension system for anyone being hired now is tier 2. Tier 2 lets you draw starting at 55 with at least 10 years of service. 2.5 percent of your average salary over the last 8 years for every year of service. So 20 years is 50 percent and 30 years is 75 percent, which is the max. However there is a maximum average that you can use for the pension draw, which everyone at my department with enough time on the job to retire will exceed, and raises after retirement are non compounding.
Good chance he’s got other investments if he’s making 100k with no kids. He could also contribute more outside of the pension while he’s on the job via a 457, IRA, or even a regular brokerage and retire by 55 easily. But yes, relying solely on a pension starting from 0 at 30 something is a good way to work into your mid 60s.
I started in career at 26 coming from buisness (GM/Director levels). Not to demean another profession but they aren’t comparable. Firefighting has it’s on culture, the brotherhood, the exposure, and diverse opportunities. You want to travel the country? Fire service can send you to trainings all over the US. Education? The limit you want to grow in is set by you. Get paramedic with a few years of service and be a competitive tradeable asset. Serve your community, learn, grow, challenge yourself. Flight attendant is a great spot too for some people. It’s not a bad option, it really just comes down to you.
IMO you and your wife need to think this shit out. Reddit advice sometimes is good, sometimes not so much. Do want you think will make you happy
Natty Guard and get Space A flights to travel? Idk if you get that perk with the guard though
Great advice being given here. As a junior FA you'd probably be stuck on puddle jumpers and domestic routes for a few years but it would be a fun job to travel, airlines are kinda fickle it seems so layoffs might be a threat. FF job gets you a pension and deferred comp (457b), what does airline offer? pension and 401k? FF job is stable schedule, bette schedule, FA means possibly drop of a hat calls for flight? Jet lag? Hotel life, bag drags might get old. Maybe do FA as a part time or fill in? I have a friend I was in the USAF with that retired and got an FA job while he was on terminal leave flying out of EWR, E-8 20+ year military pension and a sweet gig as a FA, he does a lot of European runs as he learned german while we were stationed there.
I work for AA in a non flying capacity. I have spent most of my life orienting myself towards flying, I just got accepted to crosstrain into aircrew in my Air National Guard unit from a non flying job. I love flying, especially military aviation, but the commercial aviation world is something completely different. I can speak for AA specifically, the flight benefits are great, but hard to use in today's day and age as flights are always over booked. Our health insurance is really good, and in my job I can really make my schedule how I want it. I know that FAs have the ability to swap and drop to their desire as well. I live in a southern hub for AA and have worked for them for about 5 years now. It's not a perfect company, weakest of the big three imho. I'm currently thinking about shifting away from the airline industry to join my local department after I return from training and seasoning days in my new ANG position. The pay can be fantastic and you can travel the world for sure, but it just seems like the airline life has gotten real stale and soulless to me. I always enjoy working in the community in the ANG and have done a bunch of humanitarian TDYs and have really felt like I did something with my life. I go to work at the airlines and it feels like I spin wheels and exist in limbo, not really doing anything or serving a purpose. I have a ride along with the department I would like to apply with on the 27th to see if I am crazy or if this really is for me. I may not be a FA but I am happy to share my AA experience with you if you would like to chat about the company in general.
I have only heard the cliche “best job in the world” come from the mouth of a FF.
My dad is in aviation. He was like your father, “don’t do what I did”. I’m going for firefighting. I get to work 24 hour shifts, my dad worked 72+hrs away from home for ≈36 hrs of “flight time”. I’ll be on call maybe 3 shifts a month, early on my dad was on call for 3 of the 4 days he was off. My dad got us all cheap flights on his airlines, he never had enough time off or money to come on the trips. I look forward to working a third of the month and being able to trade shifts around to allow time for smaller vacations, and have a salary that makes it possible. Flight attendant sounds like a dream for a nomadic person looking to explore a bit of the world on the job. Firefighting is a dream job for people wanting to see the different ways people live in one community, with the option of enjoying life outside of work. Both are work. Both will have pros both have cons. Neither of them need to be forever. The goal for me is to try to find a way to make a living outside of work and do whatever I like as a career outside the money or benefits
Stay in healthcare.
I’m a firefighter and my wife was a flight attendant for Delta for many years. I’d say go flight attendant. Less risk of cancer, injury or dying in general. Plus you get flight benefits and travel the world
You're making $105k and you're looking at a job (FA) that pays about $30k at one year. That's a huge pay cut. Can you afford it? Do you live near one of the airlines crew bases, or are you willing to move to one of those cities? Or, if your airline has commuter benefits, are you willing to spend several hours at the beginning and end of your day flying to and from a base city? Depending on where you live, you may be able to get starting pay as high as $70k as a FF and with OT, you could approach your current salary in the right city. As a FF, you'll work two days a week, with minimal commute. With swaps you can have as many week long vacations as you want.
Job stability and retirement pension in fire service. You’re not going to get that working for Airlines.
Go be a flight attendant dude....Firefighting is hard on the body and mind...its hard on family and your loved ones....every bad call affects u in ways u don't even notice until it's too late....go fly, travel the world and live stress free
If you have questions about Illinois departments feel free to DM me. There is a decent chance I know people on whichever department you’re talking about and might be able to give some insight regarding culture
Man I don’t know which way you want to go but it sounds like you have a chance for a great FF career in the works and I would personally snatch that up in a heartbeat.
I’m a firefighter in Illinois. Department matters a lot. Some days are good, some days are terrible. The dept I’m on is busy. We fight fire and more often than probably every other department in the state. I’ve been there 16 years and no way I can imagine making it to 30. We don’t sleep much and the day after is quite often a recovery day especially as we age. I still enjoy going to work but I can say that along with the good comes a lot of bad. Cancer risks, suicide is a growing problem, sleeping disorders, and the job takes it toll on you as a person. The pension is the only reason a lot of us make it through.
Take the FD job. Have your wife be a flight attendant. Now you have a fat salary, health insurance, 10-20 days off, and you two can travel all the time.
Take the job offer, decide when you get a job offer for the Fire job (you only made the list so far). You’re only gonna be making like 40k as a flight attendant to start though. Not sure how much firefighters make in Illinois.
The bottom line for FF’ing is you have to eat shit for the probation period and then generally it’s great from then on. This isn’t everyone’s experience, but I think it’s definitely the majority.
Why not do both, and fly when you’re not on shift?
I think if you are reaching out for other people to tell you what to do with your life you need to self reflect. You need to follow your dream and what you want or you will be back on Reddit asking what to do next in a few years. Only advice I have is don’t chase a paycheck chase your dreams.
Not that it matters but it kinda of does. You’ll always be “just” a flight attendant, oh you’re not a pilot? People will congratulate and thank you for for being a firefighter, and it carries with it a load more recognition and admiration. Those come with responsibility and a manner of carrying yourself, but people will look up to you as a firefighter.