I want to throw this out there, what is the current rate of pay for a ramp agent, baggege handler…at your airline, ground handler?
Thank’s 
Not sure about the real world, but over here in paradise the Bangladeshi rampers make about $300 a month. Plus the company pays for a one bedroom “villa” they share with 8 other guys.
Sad, when you think that’s better than they would do at home.
John
(in Saudi)
WOW now that is interesting.
I will say in the great scheme of things Rampers in the US do pretty well, I was in SAL doing some TA training. Their ramp guys make $3.25 per hr.
I remember in '90 starting at $6.25…ahh to be young again lol!!
For the company I work for (a contract company) we start at $11.20 an hour.
Don’t ask.
They don’t get paid enough. I can think of no two worse areas to work than on an airport ramp in the heat, cold, rain, or snow or on the deck of an aircraft carrier (same issues but with lots of dangerous things moving around.)
It would make me shudder when I looked down from my nice comfy tower and see what those guys had to go through.
I think the Discovery Channel needs to film a “Dirty Jobs” show about the ramp tramps (meant with utmost respect).
I actually think they did because I remember Mike not being able to keep up with the conveyor belt and was talking about how cramped it was. Looking up for sure right now.
UPDATE: Yup, episode 50. Was latter half of Season 2. He worked with some folks with Southwest at MCI.
While the weather and stuff certainly sucks, there is nothing like standing infront of a jet engine that just moments ago had been keeping the jet aloft at 39,000 feet and at Mach .81. It is very hard work, but the whole reason I am doing this job is because of my love of aircraft, not because I like injuring my back!
If nothing else, it’s a whole lot more interesting than making sandwiches or working on an assembly line.
drdisque, judging by your avatar, you have worked at ValuJet? I did a small stretch with them mid '94 to early '95. It was an interesting airline if nothing else. I did ramp, and operations for them…ops was FUN!!
I would not trade ramp for pax service EVER. I have a very short fuse, and a smart mouth on a passanger would mean trouble.
No, never worked there, I just liked the logo. I tend to cycle through logos of defunct airlines for my avatar.
Got ya!!
ValueJet had the most interesting call sign — CRITTER. 
I believe the name of that character in their logo was “critter”
With all the maintenance problems they had least it’s good to know someone had a sense of humor!
im not sure what the ramp pay is now, but when i started back in 95 is was 6 bucks an hour…and my back has never been the same!
5.75 here, but probably a location thing. Same year for me. Back in the fun/ good ole days eh? I think I walked away from the airline industry as a supervisor at like 11.50 and at a commuter we were ramp, ticket counter, GSC, gate baggage service, blah blah.
Now that I’m stuck in an office all day though, if I could make what I make now, and do what I did then, and not have to be insecure about the stability of the airline I worked for…you could give me 15 diversions, 2 cancellations and an MX delay and I’d be happy!
1986…major US carrier…$6.85/hr starting base pay. $21.50 top base pay for a Crew Chief. Then there were all of the adds…like shift diff, OT, double time, holiday, short turns, paid lunches… it was a night-mare sorting it all out from a supervisory, payroll…and employee perspective. Ahh, the joys of unions and the convoluted rules.
Major US carrier, starts at $9.00 hr, top out at $19.00 in ten years. Definitely not enough, most airlines have a difficult time getting new hires that can pass screening at that rate and a majority of the ones who can get badged are working two jobs and overtired. Rampers should be paid more!
Comair starts at 8, AE starts at 9ish. I hear its a location thing. Delta Mainline starts at 10 something and tops at 19, the highest I’ve heard of.
Keep in mind alot of them do it for the benefits, such as standby flying(not that great in my opinion). And its a little ways away from minimum wage still.
AMEN!! Ramp is always the whipping post for an operation. The top out for most is a great $ amount.
My reasoning for starting this thread was to gauge where I was in preasent day US econ. vs. others. This has been an enlightening thread. I hope others such as the gentleman above from overseas chime in more. Be safe out there folks!!