How much does an Uav Drone Pilot make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Uav Drone Pilot in the United States is $89,596 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $43.
However, an Uav Drone Pilot's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $108,540
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $80,426 to $99,512
Key Factors That Influence Uav Drone Pilot Salaries
An Uav 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
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Uav Drone Pilot Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Uav 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 Uav 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 Uav Drone Pilots. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $113,007
San Francisco: $111,770
Oakland: $109,414
San Jose, CA$113,007
San Francisco, CA$111,770
Oakland, CA$109,414
New York, NY$103,160
Paramus, NJ$101,905
Queens Village, NY$101,901
Passaic, NJ$101,816
Bergenfield, NJ$101,808
Stamford, CT$101,611
Huntington, NY$101,574
Newark, NJ$100,912
Bridgeport, CT$100,723
Vallejo, CA$100,544
New Brunswick, NJ$100,509
Petaluma, CA$100,455
Middlesex, NJ$100,285
Somerset, NJ$100,222
Santa Cruz, CA$100,105
Boston, MA$99,559
Monterey, CA$99,244
Seattle, WA$99,039
Santa Rosa, CA$99,021
Los Angeles, CA$98,994
Juneau, AK$98,761
Washington, DC$98,663
Orange, CA$98,344
Santa Ana, CA$98,107
Long Beach, CA$98,018
Anaheim, CA$98,000
Anchorage, AK$97,955
Santa Maria, CA$97,686
Everett, WA$97,668
Danbury, CT$97,353
Bremerton, WA$97,229
Tacoma, WA$96,907
New Suffolk, NY$96,905
Sacramento, CA$96,880
Santa Barbara, CA$96,781
Trenton, NJ$96,683
San Diego, CA$96,683
Brockton, MA$96,584
Fairbanks, AK$96,365
Lompoc, CA$96,136
Lowell, MA$96,064
Ventura, CA$96,047
Nashua, NH$96,029
Stockton, CA$96,020
Modesto, CA$95,366
Poughkeepsie, NY$95,169
Olympia, WA$94,998
Kennewick, WA$94,998
New Haven, CT$94,963
Lawrence, MA$94,640
Hartford, CT$94,550
Riverside, CA$94,533
New Bedford, MA$94,443
Richland, WA$94,443
Bakersfield, CA$94,317
San Bernardino, CA$94,282
New Britain, CT$94,273
Atlantic City, NJ$94,273
New London, CT$94,237
Norwich, CT$94,210
Portsmouth, NH$94,192
Boulder, CO$94,002
Portland, OR$93,878
Worcester, MA$93,870
Minneapolis, MN$93,592
Philadelphia, PA$93,466
Honolulu, HI$93,171
Saint Paul, MN$93,128
Vineland, NJ$93,108
Providence, RI$92,848
Chicago, IL$92,588
Bellingham, WA$92,481
Springfield, MA$92,409
Baltimore, MD$92,382
Chico, CA$92,158
Pittsfield, MA$91,916
Manchester, NH$91,746
Spokane, WA$91,352
Denver, CO$91,343
Albany, NY$90,922
Troy, NY$90,886
Nassau, NY$90,790
Schenectady, NY$90,698
Wilmington, DE$90,626
Burlington, VT$90,501
Salem, OR$90,465
Portland, ME$90,187
Yakima, WA$90,098
Rochester, MN$89,820
Reno, NV$89,775
Fresno, CA$89,775
Milwaukee, WI$89,694
Detroit, MI$89,605
Ann Arbor, MI$89,590
Allentown, PA$89,578
Colorado Springs, CO$89,426
Syracuse, NY$89,381
Carson City, NV$89,381
Houston, TX$89,255
Eugene, OR$89,211
Gary, IN$89,103
Springfield, OR$89,031
Bismarck, ND$89,013
Galveston, TX$88,951
Medford, OR$88,816
Fort Collins, CO$88,780
Concord, NH$88,736
Austin, TX$88,709
Mesa, AZ$88,521
Reading, PA$88,512
Phoenix, AZ$88,503
Dallas, TX$88,476
Saint Cloud, MN$88,390
Madison, WI$88,270
Utica, NY$88,028
Rochester, NY$87,885
Des Moines, IA$87,876
Raleigh, NC$87,867
Atlanta, GA$87,732
Battle Creek, MI$87,705
Salt Lake City, UT$87,678
Lancaster, PA$87,544
Harrisburg, PA$87,419
Kansas City, MO$87,329
Champaign, IL$87,311
Kansas City, KS$87,311
Fort Worth, TX$87,302
Columbus, OH$87,287
Boca Raton, FL$87,266
Pittsburgh, PA$87,230
Richmond, VA$87,195
Indianapolis, IN$87,177
Cleveland, OH$87,168
Las Vegas, NV$87,060
Cincinnati, OH$87,060
Petersburg, VA$86,926
Huntsville, AL$86,791
Lansing, MI$86,731
Lebanon, PA$86,720
Pueblo, CO$86,711
Appleton, WI$86,684
Buffalo, NY$86,648
Dayton, OH$86,621
Racine, WI$86,603
Charlotte, NC$86,594
Saint Louis, MO$86,567
York, PA$86,514
Elkhart, IN$86,514
Gastonia, NC$86,497
Billings, MT$86,475
Beaumont, TX$86,451
Lorain, OH$86,433
Benton Harbor, MI$86,415
Toledo, OH$86,397
Binghamton, NY$86,352
Rock Hill, SC$86,343
Rockford, IL$86,299
Springfield, IL$86,263
Elyria, OH$86,254
Fargo, ND$86,254
Flagstaff, AZ$86,191
Fort Lauderdale, FL$86,137
Duluth, MN$86,084
Miami, FL$86,084
Cheyenne, WY$86,021
Grand Forks, ND$86,021
Bangor, ME$85,824
Cedar Rapids, IA$85,725
Durham, NC$85,688
Louisville, KY$85,680
Grand Rapids, MI$85,663
Hialeah, FL$85,654
Casper, WY$85,528
Scranton, PA$85,421
New Orleans, LA$85,394
Virginia Beach, VA$85,385
Akron, OH$85,340
Peoria, IL$85,224
Sarasota, FL$85,206
Nashville, TN$85,143
Omaha, NE$85,143
Green Bay, WI$85,143
Baton Rouge, LA$85,098
Charleston, SC$85,080
Jamestown, NY$85,035
Davenport, IA$85,035
Tucson, AZ$84,991
Saint Petersburg, FL$84,937
Tampa, FL$84,919
Evansville, IN$84,865
Port Arthur, TX$84,865
Bradenton, FL$84,829
Santa Fe, NM$84,668
Orlando, FL$84,507
Clearwater, FL$84,480
Canton, OH$84,292
La Crosse, WI$84,292
Albuquerque, NM$84,238
Newport News, VA$84,229
High Point, NC$84,202
Ogden, UT$84,166
Corpus Christi, TX$84,095
Norfolk, VA$84,041
Laramie, WY$84,041
Rock Island, IL$83,987
Saginaw, MI$83,969
Jacksonville, FL$83,960
Salisbury, NC$83,942
Boise, ID$83,924
Moline, IL$83,880
Fort Myers, FL$83,853
Memphis, TN$83,835
Tulsa, OK$83,790
Waterloo, IA$83,736
Spartanburg, SC$83,647
Lincoln, NE$83,602
Fort Wayne, IN$83,584
Provo, UT$83,575
Cedar Falls, IA$83,467
San Antonio, TX$83,432
Greensboro, NC$83,396
South Bend, IN$83,387
Savannah, GA$83,288
Muskegon, MI$83,252
Birmingham, AL$83,243
Winston Salem, NC$83,200
Lake Charles, LA$82,984
Anderson, IN$82,966
Lexington, KY$82,939
Augusta, GA$82,912
Greenville, SC$82,912
Lima, OH$82,840
Wichita, KS$82,831
Tuscaloosa, AL$82,831
Columbia, SC$82,751
Springfield, OH$82,733
Asheville, NC$82,589
Bloomington, IN$82,527
Knoxville, TN$82,204
Shreveport, LA$82,195
Wilmington, NC$82,079
Roanoke, VA$82,079
Topeka, KS$81,917
Frankfort, KY$81,908
Oklahoma City, OK$81,846
Chillicothe, OH$81,810
Longview, TX$81,801
Melbourne, FL$81,792
Sioux Falls, SD$81,649
Mobile, AL$81,640
Terre Haute, IN$81,604
Altoona, PA$81,550
Amarillo, TX$81,487
Killeen, TX$81,461
Fayetteville, AR$81,389
Chattanooga, TN$81,362
Sioux City, IA$81,281
Idaho Falls, ID$81,263
Lynchburg, VA$81,192
Gainesville, FL$81,075
Portsmouth, OH$81,030
Little Rock, AR$81,013
Lafayette, LA$80,977
Youngstown, OH$80,977
Daytona Beach, FL$80,923
Clarksville, TN$80,914
Pensacola, FL$80,905
Temple, TX$80,899
Hopkinsville, KY$80,636
Erie, PA$80,618
Florence, SC$80,582
Charleston, WV$80,439
Great Falls, MT$80,394
Macon, GA$80,269
Tallahassee, FL$80,260
Fayetteville, NC$80,242
Waco, TX$80,224
Helena, MT$80,161
Pine Bluff, AR$80,127
Vincennes, IN$80,018
Lubbock, TX$79,982
Alamogordo, NM$79,928
Twin Falls, ID$79,848
Rapid City, SD$79,821
Jackson, MS$79,660
Huntington, WV$79,653
Greenville, MS$79,651
Parkersburg, WV$79,559
Montgomery, AL$79,543
Wichita Falls, TX$79,454
Springfield, MO$79,454
Biloxi, MS$79,409
Monroe, LA$79,319
Johnstown, PA$79,256
Sumter, SC$79,221
Columbus, GA$79,212
Pascagoula, MS$79,041
Abilene, TX$79,041
Kingsport, TN$78,808
Albany, GA$78,808
Gulfport, MS$78,782
Alexandria, LA$78,486
Fort Smith, AR$78,262
El Paso, TX$78,020
Las Cruces, NM$77,617
Harlingen, TX$77,389
Pocatello, ID$77,375
Florence, AL$77,258
Brownsville, TX$77,241
Mcallen, TX$77,052
Dothan, AL$76,927
Columbus, MS$76,395
Altus, OK$75,977
Lawton, OK$75,807
Pierre, SD$75,484
What Skills Can Increase an Uav Drone Pilot's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 12.77% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Customer Satisfaction (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Customer satisfaction (often abbreviated as CSAT, more correctly CSat) is a term frequently used in marketing. It is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is defined as "the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals." The Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) endorses the definitions, purposes, and constructs of classes of measures that appear in Marketing Metrics as part of its ongoing Common Language in Marketing Project. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 71 percent responded that they found a customer satisfaction metric very useful in managing and monitoring their businesses. It is seen as a key performance indicator within business and is often part of a Balanced Scorecard. In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of business strategy.
Sales and Marketing (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Marketing consists of the strategies your company employs to generate interest in your business. Sales are the methods by which you convert that interest into a transaction.
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 an Uav Drone Pilot's salary.
Sustainability: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Continuous Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Uav Drone Pilot Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Uav Drone Pilot roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 65% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Energy & Utilities
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Uav Drone Pilot positions in Financial Services or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Uav Drone Pilot as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Uav Drone Pilot
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$116,475
$56.0
30%
Energy & Utilities
$107,515
$52.0
20%
Software & Networking
$107,515
$52.0
20%
Aerospace & Defense
$103,035
$50.0
15%
Biotechnology
$98,555
$47.0
10%
Uav Drone Pilot Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Uav 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.
Salaries for an Uav Drone Pilot can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $83,694 in 2023
to around $83,195 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Uav Drone Pilot salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Uav Drone Pilot Over Time
$???
$83,694
$84,004
$83,195
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$83,694
2024
$84,004
2025
$83,195
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Uav Drone Pilot
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Uav Drone Pilot
Here are companies hiring for Uav Drone Pilot and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Uav Drone Pilot Job
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FAQ about Uav Drone Pilot
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Uav Drone Pilot?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Uav Drone Pilot roles,
with salaries approximately 30% 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.
