NFO or 4million bucks?

[SynixMan]

At 10 years now and committing to the next 10. I love flying, but damn I'd give anything to be sitting on 3-4 Mil right now at 32. It's been fun, but I'd 100% trade it for what you're talking about. To each his own, but financial freedom PLUS not being separated from your family for 6+ months at a time? Easy decision.

This is called a major airline. Bail at MSR, make your cash, set your retirement early.

BT BT

To the OP, first, you come across a bit like a jerk. I realize this is a web forum and braggadocio is commonplace. Second, I interned and worked at a (then) Fortune 50 company out of college, making good (not great) money, and fucking hated it. The highlight of my week was intramural soccer. Being an NFO (or even better, a pilot, but I'm obviously biased) will give you experiences your peers only dream about while eating 10th free sushi of the month figuring out ways to create more addictive habit patterns for baby boomers. You'll make friends for life, see the world (even the shitty parts), and maybe do some genuine good for your country and mankind. When you're done in ~8 years, if you've still got the ability, there will be plenty of money to be made, but you can't do it the other way.

At this point my only regrets in life are not joining the Coast Guard and not putting money in the crypto Ponzi scheme early on.

 

[Notanaviator]

I don’t think @flyingLemonade is serious with his question but here’s a good story that I think everyone here would appreciate.

My first job was at a big bank where people made the kind of money Lemons is talking about. The CEO of the company was a big supporter of a veterans organization and part of that support was having military members nearing the end of their first service contract come into the office to get a sense for what the life of a finance professional was like. At the end of our little office tour we would sometimes ask our guests to interview for a full time job.

The first time I saw a group come through it was a bunch of young SEALs and I think a few aviators. After they finished I told my boss we should definitely hire one to an empty spot on our team. My boss turns to me and says don’t be an idiot we could never hire them, showing those guys our day to day is the best reenlistment tool the military has.

Moral of the story is 1 I don’t think people are lying when they say they wouldn’t trade it for all the money in the world and 2 Like others have said, if you really want it, the opportunity to make money will still be there when you get out.

I gotta counterpoint this from the business community side of things. The SF and aviation communities especially over the last 10-15 years have become highly sought after, and typically have pretty great options to transition. Not abnormal to go straight from service to a top tier MBA program, then into the most competitive PE/investment banking environments. Not discounting your personal experience here, but wouldn’t want it to sway the OP’s decision. As for $4MM in the bank… uhhh… if you’re in Silicon Valley you’re looking at like $1.6MM after taxes… so if you’re looking at a number vs a set of once in a lifetime experiences, at least get the number right haha… but best of luck to you, looks like you’ve got some good options.

 

[Griz882]

Back when I was making $15K a year I thought $25K would be marvelous. When I was earning $35K I was convinced that all I needed to make it was $50K. I’ve blown way, way past $50K in pay and sometimes still wish I was making more. But that’s the game. If you’re sitting on $4 million at 35 years you’ll want $10 million in a few more years and so on and so forth. You surrender your “life” to the pursuit of income as a measure of success. For most this is perfectly fine and what many, many people do. But it will never be enough. My brother in law has close to $18 million in the bank (actual cash, not investments) and worries endlessly about running out of money.

Me….I’ve been fortunate. I have enough change in my pocket to live a decent life and I have stacked a few life times of experience on top of that. I have never had a “great” moment looking at my 401K balance, but I do enjoy the occasional glance at my old USMC boot camp picture…the crowd I went to AOCS with…guys I fought with in Afghanistan and Iraq…stuff like that. If the balance sheet makes you happy…follow that route…but it will never be enough.

 

[Doback]

I gotta counterpoint this from the business community side of things. The SF and aviation communities especially over the last 10-15 years have become highly sought after, and typically have pretty great options to transition. Not abnormal to go straight from service to a top tier MBA program, then into the most competitive PE/investment banking environments. Not discounting your personal experience here, but wouldn’t want it to sway the OP’s decision. As for $4MM in the bank… uhhh… if you’re in Silicon Valley you’re looking at like $1.6MM after taxes… so if you’re looking at a number vs a set of once in a lifetime experiences, at least get the number right haha… but best of luck to you, looks like you’ve got some good options.

I think we’re saying the same thing here

 

[croakerfish]

Greetings,

I am aware this may come off as a humblebrag, and Ild like to apologize in anticipation for sounding like a pompous show off. But I am in dire need of some old man wisdom and theres no better place for that than the AW community.

On the one hand, Ive lucked out and got several job offers working in software at big tech companies in the $400k range. Nothing too exciting. Writing little code, cashing big checks.

On the other, I have an NFO contract ship date late July. Along with all the pains and pleasures that being an AD officer for a decade carries.

I am a single mid-twenties dude who thinks that playing dress-up and licking windows around the globe full time for 8-10 years would be the coolest job ever.
But, would it be as cool as being a mid-thirties dude with $4million his bank account (prolly somewhat under $3mill after tax)?

Yes, many vets have said throughout history "they wouldnt trade their service for the world", but I mean $3million in your 30s is a lot of moolah though. Kinda makes me wonder if they meant it literally or if they just say it cause it sounds cool. I don't have that kinda money nor have I lived the life of an FO, so I'm asking you folks who have done at least one and/or possibly both.

So my question to you older, wiser bubbas who've beenthere-donethat and in their youth chose adventure and service and have now moved on to the rhythms
of civilian life, would you trade your naval aviation years, memories, and experiences for $3million bucks?

And yes, I am aware every now and then a similar thread pops up and it always come down to "OP, you must chose between adventure and a civvy career. Go to
the woods and search within, its something that only you can answer for yourself. If anything, serve now and then go focus on your finances". Yeah. True. Cant argue with that. But. Knowing what you now know about life in naval aviation, would you sell your service years for $3 million bucks though?

If you do decide to go to OCS, make sure you tell this whole story just like this.

 

[sevenhelmet]

One man's cool is another man's...well, $4M would be cool too. But if you go naval aviation you may not live to your mid-30s, making the earning potential thing a moot point.

Read the first chapter or so of The Right Stuff. Then read the essay The Truest Sport: Jousting with Sam & Charlie . Both will speak to your decision.

I was already graduated and working, and took a huge cut in pay to join the Navy and fly. ZERO REGRETS.

Or the OP could be hit by a bus. Yes, Naval Aviation can be dangerous. But there's some pretty great training included in the package. Someone who will be good in aviation recognizes that it's a sliding scale of risk no matter what you do.

 

[Hozer]

I'm a partner at a law firm and retired NFO. My partner has and still flies F-15's for the FLANG and doesn't miss a chance to go strap on a Eagle.
Play your hand right and you may be able to do both.

Good luck.

 

[number9]

I gotta counterpoint this from the business community side of things. The SF and aviation communities especially over the last 10-15 years have become highly sought after, and typically have pretty great options to transition. Not abnormal to go straight from service to a top tier MBA program, then into the most competitive PE/investment banking environments. Not discounting your personal experience here, but wouldn’t want it to sway the OP’s decision. As for $4MM in the bank… uhhh… if you’re in Silicon Valley you’re looking at like $1.6MM after taxes… so if you’re looking at a number vs a set of once in a lifetime experiences, at least get the number right haha… but best of luck to you, looks like you’ve got some good options.

I went to a top-tier MBA program and was friends with a lot of the veterans there. (When I graduated, I was not yet in the Navy.) There is definitely big money to be made in PE and IB, but the hours are horrendous. I have friends that routinely work 80-90 hour weeks.. while they are getting paid gobs of money, the work/life balance is simply awful and most of them don't make it two years before quitting.

As for OP: if I was you, there are two things I would consider.

1. If you join the Navy and make it through flight school, are you ever going to sit in an aircraft and think "Man, I wish I was a developer getting paid more than I am now?". I doubt that you would, but only you would know for sure
2. If you don't join the Navy, is it realistic that you can make $400K+ per year for 10 years? As someone who has been in the tech industry a long time, the current pace of developer salaries is unsustainable

 

[Pianistwithwings]

It’s a __ year contract to go to OCS, it’s 6 years after winging. Seize the day and all that. Failed entrepreneur here, I hadn’t even seen half of 40k a year before I joined at 26 years old working as a musician. The navy has been the best thing that could have happened to me. For OP to earn 400k a year seems like a golden opportunity, but as a O-3 earning ~80k there are days I miss the peacefulness of the 20k. Money is just an object, and none of us can take it with us.

To OP I ask, ”What makes you happy?”

 

[zippy]

$400k a year? Bye…

 

[DanMa1156]

I'll echo what others have said, but add in a financial counterpoint as well: yes, I agree, there are very few days in the Navy I wish I was doing something else. For a period of time I wanted to go fly commercially or wanted to be a diplomat. There's a piece of me that still wants to do both of those still and I think I may still have those options when I leave the Navy, but 85% of the time, I'm very much in the attitude of "I am where I am supposed to be."

Financial counterpoint: I think the money is plenty good. It's not FU money, but I don't think I live like a pauper but invest regularly and consistently, have kids, am married with a spouse who works enough to earn a few hundred per week but nothing to write home about, and I expect at my 20 year mark to have a combined net worth of about $3-4 million with a 40-50k pension that's adjusted for inflation with one kid's college covered by the GI Bill. I am plenty fine and content with the financial decisions I've made. I also suspect that while $400k annually is a lot of money, it may not be quite as high as you're thinking in the VHCOL places you'll probably be working, I assume: NYC or the Bay Area.

 

[Random8145]

Not a Naval aviator, but a few things to keep in mind:

1) You can still make lots of money after being an aviator

2) You have to consider how much you enjoy the money-earning job. If the money is great but the job is terrible due to stress and time commitment and/or you just not caring about the work, then the money may not be worth it at all

3) The money may seem like a lot but if it's a high-end area, it won't go nearly as far and you'll be surrounded by lots of other even richer people.

 

[GroundPounder]

Old man response, take it for what it is worth.

You can code anytime, your window to serve is relatively narrow.

In the history of bar stories and fun times the ratio is 567,211 to 1 when comparing Military Service / Computer Jobs.

I was not a military pilot, and my answers are based purely on the fun times and comradery of being in the service. I would imagine that being a Naval Aviator on top of that, skews the ratio to 1,342002 to .03

Good luck.

 

[squorch2]

Here's what I tell folks who ask "Should I join?"

USN (or whoever) is gonna get their pound of flesh from you.

What are you going to get in return?

What will you have at the end of your service that you didn't have before?

If you don't know, don't join up until you do.

If you're aiming for pension - ehhhhh.

Once you have the answer to this question, you'll know what to do.

 

[HSMPBR]

Here's what I tell folks who ask "Should I join?"

USN (or whoever) is gonna get their pound of flesh from you.

What are you going to get in return?

What will you have at the end of your service that you didn't have before?

If you don't know, don't join up until you do.

If you're aiming for pension - ehhhhh.

Once you have the answer to this question, you'll know what to do.