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Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. I did these calculations when they hit my number, and I think I did it right comparing the salary sheets. It's part of the reason I decided to defer (probably not taking it at all, though only partly for the pay cut). So NOT counting night diff, and taking into account the September raise for captains, and 180 hours at the straight time rate (15hrs/month), a LT making 20 hours-ish a month will reach the same total pay as a captain by month 11 or so. I don't remember the numbers exactly, but if you're making over 20 hours, you will come out ahead probably within 5-7 months as an LT and the rest is gravy. Now, that did factor in the 2.5% for 5 years in rank as an LT, so YMMV. I haven't ruled it out yet, but it doesn't help when every captain says not to do it. With plans not to be on the job for more than 2-3 years, being tier 2, and not wanting to deal with the schedule and clueless higher-level executives, I just don't think it makes sense (for me). If this math doesn't add up, I'm happy to hear what others came up with. I can still be convinced!