Uav Drone Pilot Salary in the United States

How much does an Uav Drone Pilot make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for an Uav Drone Pilot in the United States is $89,555 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): $108,461
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $80,389 to $99,451
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $72,043
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View as table View as graph 25% $80,389 10% $72,043 90% $108,461 75% $99,451 $89,555 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Uav Drone Pilot Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $99,451 $8,288 $1,913 $48
Average $89,555 $7,463 $1,722 $43
25th Percentile $80,389 $6,699 $1,546 $39
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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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $57,188
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $69,320
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,465
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $92,584
  • Expert (over 8 years): $112,565
Levels Salary
Vendor Ma... Level Uav Drone Pilot$57,188
Vendor Ma... Level Uav Drone Pilot$69,320
Uav Drone... Level Uav Drone Pilot$91,465
Vendor Ma... Level Uav Drone Pilot$92,584
Vendor Ma... Level Uav Drone Pilot$112,565
$57,188 0 yr
$69,320 < 2 yrs
$91,465 2-4 yrs
$92,584 5-8 yrs
$112,565 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Uav 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: $112,956
  • San Francisco: $111,719
  • Oakland: $109,365

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.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 12.77%
Customer Satisfaction 2.13%
Sales and Marketing 2.13%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
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%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Sustainability
$101,197
13%
Initiative
$99,406
11%
Continuous Improvement
$95,824
7%
Analysis
$94,929
6%
Problem Solving
$94,929
6%
Microsoft Office
$93,137
4%
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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$116,422$56.030%
Energy & Utilities$107,466$52.020%
Software & Networking$107,466$52.020%
Aerospace & Defense$102,988$50.015%
Biotechnology$98,511$47.010%

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.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Uav Drone Pilot

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

2022
$???
2023
$83,694
2024
$84,004
2025
$83,195
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)
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Common company salaries for Uav Drone Pilot

Here are companies hiring for Uav Drone Pilot and their salaries, click below for more details.

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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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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