A Drone Pilot's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Drone Pilot Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Drone Pilot's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Drone Pilot Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Drone Pilots. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $53,276.
California: $53,074.
Massachusetts: $52,367.
District of Columbia$53,276
California$53,074
Massachusetts$52,367
Washington$52,175
New Jersey$52,155
Alaska$52,088
Connecticut$51,424
New York$51,154
Hawaii$50,293
Rhode Island$49,889
Maryland$49,615
Minnesota$49,239
Colorado$49,095
Illinois$49,047
Oregon$48,864
Delaware$48,729
New Hampshire$48,645
Virginia$48,455
Pennsylvania$47,902
Nevada$47,623
North Dakota$47,531
Michigan$47,387
Wisconsin$47,334
Vermont$47,228
Texas$46,934
Maine$46,915
Arizona$46,886
Ohio$46,853
Georgia$46,410
Indiana$46,189
Wyoming$46,145
Utah$46,078
Iowa$46,049
Kansas$45,818
Louisiana$45,751
North Carolina$45,727
Missouri$45,717
Florida$45,529
Montana$45,428
Nebraska$45,332
Kentucky$45,279
South Carolina$45,087
Tennessee$44,966
Idaho$44,918
New Mexico$44,567
Oklahoma$44,490
Alabama$44,206
South Dakota$43,730
Arkansas$43,470
West Virginia$43,330
Mississippi$42,912
Top Paying Cities for Drone Pilots
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $60,691
San Francisco: $60,027
Oakland: $58,762
San Jose, CA$60,691
San Francisco, CA$60,027
Oakland, CA$58,762
New York, NY$55,403
Paramus, NJ$54,729
Queens Village, NY$54,727
Passaic, NJ$54,681
Bergenfield, NJ$54,677
Stamford, CT$54,571
Huntington, NY$54,551
Newark, NJ$54,196
Bridgeport, CT$54,094
Vallejo, CA$53,998
New Brunswick, NJ$53,979
Petaluma, CA$53,950
Middlesex, NJ$53,859
Somerset, NJ$53,825
Santa Cruz, CA$53,762
Boston, MA$53,469
Monterey, CA$53,300
Seattle, WA$53,190
Santa Rosa, CA$53,180
Los Angeles, CA$53,166
Juneau, AK$53,041
Washington, DC$52,988
Orange, CA$52,816
Santa Ana, CA$52,689
Long Beach, CA$52,641
Anaheim, CA$52,632
Anchorage, AK$52,608
Santa Maria, CA$52,463
Everett, WA$52,454
Danbury, CT$52,284
Bremerton, WA$52,218
Tacoma, WA$52,045
New Suffolk, NY$52,044
Sacramento, CA$52,030
Santa Barbara, CA$51,977
Trenton, NJ$51,924
San Diego, CA$51,924
Brockton, MA$51,871
Fairbanks, AK$51,754
Lompoc, CA$51,631
Lowell, MA$51,592
Ventura, CA$51,583
Nashua, NH$51,573
Stockton, CA$51,568
Modesto, CA$51,217
Poughkeepsie, NY$51,111
Olympia, WA$51,020
Kennewick, WA$51,020
New Haven, CT$51,000
Lawrence, MA$50,827
Hartford, CT$50,779
Riverside, CA$50,770
New Bedford, MA$50,721
Richland, WA$50,721
Bakersfield, CA$50,654
San Bernardino, CA$50,635
New Britain, CT$50,630
Atlantic City, NJ$50,630
New London, CT$50,611
Norwich, CT$50,596
Portsmouth, NH$50,587
Boulder, CO$50,485
Portland, OR$50,418
Worcester, MA$50,413
Minneapolis, MN$50,264
Philadelphia, PA$50,197
Honolulu, HI$50,038
Saint Paul, MN$50,015
Vineland, NJ$50,004
Providence, RI$49,865
Chicago, IL$49,725
Bellingham, WA$49,668
Springfield, MA$49,629
Baltimore, MD$49,615
Chico, CA$49,494
Pittsfield, MA$49,364
Manchester, NH$49,273
Spokane, WA$49,061
Denver, CO$49,057
Albany, NY$48,830
Troy, NY$48,811
Nassau, NY$48,760
Schenectady, NY$48,710
Wilmington, DE$48,672
Burlington, VT$48,604
Salem, OR$48,585
Portland, ME$48,436
Yakima, WA$48,388
Rochester, MN$48,238
Reno, NV$48,214
Fresno, CA$48,214
Milwaukee, WI$48,171
Detroit, MI$48,123
Ann Arbor, MI$48,115
Allentown, PA$48,109
Colorado Springs, CO$48,027
Syracuse, NY$48,003
Carson City, NV$48,003
Houston, TX$47,935
Eugene, OR$47,911
Gary, IN$47,854
Springfield, OR$47,815
Bismarck, ND$47,805
Galveston, TX$47,772
Medford, OR$47,700
Fort Collins, CO$47,680
Concord, NH$47,656
Austin, TX$47,642
Mesa, AZ$47,541
Reading, PA$47,536
Phoenix, AZ$47,531
Dallas, TX$47,517
Saint Cloud, MN$47,471
Madison, WI$47,406
Utica, NY$47,276
Rochester, NY$47,199
Des Moines, IA$47,194
Raleigh, NC$47,190
Atlanta, GA$47,117
Battle Creek, MI$47,103
Salt Lake City, UT$47,088
Lancaster, PA$47,016
Harrisburg, PA$46,949
Kansas City, MO$46,901
Champaign, IL$46,891
Kansas City, KS$46,891
Fort Worth, TX$46,886
Columbus, OH$46,878
Boca Raton, FL$46,867
Pittsburgh, PA$46,848
Richmond, VA$46,829
Indianapolis, IN$46,819
Cleveland, OH$46,814
Las Vegas, NV$46,756
Cincinnati, OH$46,756
Petersburg, VA$46,684
Huntsville, AL$46,612
Lansing, MI$46,580
Lebanon, PA$46,574
Pueblo, CO$46,569
Appleton, WI$46,554
Buffalo, NY$46,535
Dayton, OH$46,521
Racine, WI$46,511
Charlotte, NC$46,506
Saint Louis, MO$46,492
York, PA$46,463
Elkhart, IN$46,463
Gastonia, NC$46,454
Billings, MT$46,442
Beaumont, TX$46,429
Lorain, OH$46,420
Benton Harbor, MI$46,410
Toledo, OH$46,400
Binghamton, NY$46,376
Rock Hill, SC$46,372
Rockford, IL$46,347
Springfield, IL$46,328
Elyria, OH$46,323
Fargo, ND$46,323
Flagstaff, AZ$46,290
Fort Lauderdale, FL$46,261
Duluth, MN$46,232
Miami, FL$46,232
Cheyenne, WY$46,198
Grand Forks, ND$46,198
Bangor, ME$46,092
Cedar Rapids, IA$46,039
Durham, NC$46,019
Louisville, KY$46,015
Grand Rapids, MI$46,006
Hialeah, FL$46,001
Casper, WY$45,934
Scranton, PA$45,876
New Orleans, LA$45,861
Virginia Beach, VA$45,857
Akron, OH$45,833
Peoria, IL$45,770
Sarasota, FL$45,760
Nashville, TN$45,727
Omaha, NE$45,727
Green Bay, WI$45,727
Baton Rouge, LA$45,703
Charleston, SC$45,693
Jamestown, NY$45,669
Davenport, IA$45,669
Tucson, AZ$45,645
Saint Petersburg, FL$45,616
Tampa, FL$45,606
Evansville, IN$45,578
Port Arthur, TX$45,578
Bradenton, FL$45,558
Santa Fe, NM$45,472
Orlando, FL$45,385
Clearwater, FL$45,371
Canton, OH$45,270
La Crosse, WI$45,270
Albuquerque, NM$45,241
Newport News, VA$45,236
High Point, NC$45,221
Ogden, UT$45,202
Corpus Christi, TX$45,164
Norfolk, VA$45,135
Laramie, WY$45,135
Rock Island, IL$45,106
Saginaw, MI$45,096
Jacksonville, FL$45,092
Salisbury, NC$45,082
Boise, ID$45,072
Moline, IL$45,048
Fort Myers, FL$45,034
Memphis, TN$45,024
Tulsa, OK$45,000
Waterloo, IA$44,971
Spartanburg, SC$44,923
Lincoln, NE$44,899
Fort Wayne, IN$44,889
Provo, UT$44,885
Cedar Falls, IA$44,827
San Antonio, TX$44,808
Greensboro, NC$44,788
South Bend, IN$44,784
Savannah, GA$44,731
Muskegon, MI$44,711
Birmingham, AL$44,707
Winston Salem, NC$44,683
Lake Charles, LA$44,567
Anderson, IN$44,557
Lexington, KY$44,543
Augusta, GA$44,529
Greenville, SC$44,529
Lima, OH$44,490
Wichita, KS$44,485
Tuscaloosa, AL$44,485
Columbia, SC$44,442
Springfield, OH$44,432
Asheville, NC$44,355
Bloomington, IN$44,322
Knoxville, TN$44,148
Shreveport, LA$44,144
Wilmington, NC$44,081
Roanoke, VA$44,081
Topeka, KS$43,994
Frankfort, KY$43,989
Oklahoma City, OK$43,956
Chillicothe, OH$43,937
Longview, TX$43,932
Melbourne, FL$43,927
Sioux Falls, SD$43,850
Mobile, AL$43,845
Terre Haute, IN$43,826
Altoona, PA$43,797
Amarillo, TX$43,764
Killeen, TX$43,749
Fayetteville, AR$43,711
Chattanooga, TN$43,696
Sioux City, IA$43,653
Idaho Falls, ID$43,643
Lynchburg, VA$43,605
Gainesville, FL$43,542
Portsmouth, OH$43,518
Little Rock, AR$43,508
Lafayette, LA$43,489
Youngstown, OH$43,489
Daytona Beach, FL$43,460
Clarksville, TN$43,456
Pensacola, FL$43,451
Temple, TX$43,447
Hopkinsville, KY$43,306
Erie, PA$43,297
Florence, SC$43,278
Charleston, WV$43,201
Great Falls, MT$43,176
Macon, GA$43,109
Tallahassee, FL$43,104
Fayetteville, NC$43,095
Waco, TX$43,085
Helena, MT$43,051
Pine Bluff, AR$43,033
Vincennes, IN$42,974
Lubbock, TX$42,955
Alamogordo, NM$42,926
Twin Falls, ID$42,883
Rapid City, SD$42,869
Jackson, MS$42,782
Huntington, WV$42,779
Greenville, MS$42,777
Parkersburg, WV$42,728
Montgomery, AL$42,719
Wichita Falls, TX$42,671
Springfield, MO$42,671
Biloxi, MS$42,647
Monroe, LA$42,599
Johnstown, PA$42,565
Sumter, SC$42,546
Columbus, GA$42,541
Pascagoula, MS$42,450
Abilene, TX$42,450
Kingsport, TN$42,325
Albany, GA$42,325
Gulfport, MS$42,310
Alexandria, LA$42,152
Fort Smith, AR$42,031
El Paso, TX$41,901
Las Cruces, NM$41,685
Harlingen, TX$41,563
Pocatello, ID$41,555
Florence, AL$41,492
Brownsville, TX$41,483
Mcallen, TX$41,382
Dothan, AL$41,314
Columbus, MS$41,028
Altus, OK$40,804
Lawton, OK$40,713
Pierre, SD$40,540
What Skills Can Increase a Drone Pilot's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 21.54% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Marketing Management (Mentioned in 3.83% Job Postings): Marketing management is the organizational discipline which focuses on the practical application of marketing orientation, techniques and methods inside enterprises and organizations and on the management of a firm's marketing resources and activities.
Managed Care (Mentioned in 1.68% Job Postings): Managed Care is a health care delivery system organized to manage cost, utilization, and quality. Also known as managed healthcare.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Drone Pilot's salary.
B2B: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
CRM: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Drone Pilot Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Drone Pilot roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 70% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Healthcare and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average.
In contrast, Drone Pilot positions in Insurance or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Drone Pilot as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Drone Pilot
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$67,365
$32.0
40%
Financial Services
$57,742
$28.0
20%
How Education impacts a Drone Pilot's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Drone Pilots enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Drone Pilot with a Associate's Degree is between
$48,250
and $50,927).
Drone Pilot Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Drone Pilot's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$46,897
Average$48,118/year
$52,605
$3,908
Average$4,010/month
$4,384
$902
Average$925/week
$1,012
$23
Average$23/hour
$25
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$52,605
$4,384
$1,012
$25
Average
$48,118
$4,010
$925
$23
25th Percentile
$46,897
$3,908
$902
$23
Salaries of Jobs related to Drone Pilot
Pilot IV$196,775
Pilot III$164,789
Test Pilot$128,965
Pilot I$116,565
Helicopter Pilot$93,806
Drone Engineer$93,116
Uav Drone Pilot$89,618
Pilot$84,222
Drone Instructor$62,964
Drone Operator$49,667
Drone Technician$41,758
Salary Trends for Drone Pilot
Salaries for a Drone Pilot can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $44,987 in 2023
to around $44,467 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Drone Pilot salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Drone Pilot Over Time
$???
$44,987
$44,724
$44,467
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$44,987
2024
$44,724
2025
$44,467
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Drone Pilot
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Drone Pilot
Here are companies hiring for Drone Pilot and their salaries, click below for more details.
K$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLPBusiness Servicesthe United States
W$114,096/per year
Warner Bros DiscoveryBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$111,927/per year
Dentsu International LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$111,651/per year
CoWorx StaffingBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services CorpBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$107,128/per year
Showcase CinemasBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,429/per year
Amentum Services IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$106,104/per year
Sodexo USABusiness Servicesthe United States
J$105,192/per year
JLL TechnologiesBusiness Servicesthe United States
I$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
N$101,619/per year
NielsenIQBusiness Servicesthe United States
T$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge AllianceBusiness Servicesthe United States
H$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOPBusiness Servicesthe United States
R$97,720/per year
Reeve & AssociatesBusiness Servicesthe United States
M$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
F$95,980/per year
Financial Sys NcoBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$95,314/per year
Arrow Global LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$94,479/per year
DZConneXBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USABusiness Servicesthe United States
R$92,937/per year
Resource MFGBusiness Servicesthe United States
Z$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
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FAQ about Drone Pilot
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Drone Pilot?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Drone Pilot roles,
with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
