How much does a Drone Instructor make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Drone Instructor in the United States is $62,966 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.
However, a Drone Instructor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $75,969
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $56,961 to $69,772
Key Factors That Influence Drone Instructor Salaries
A Drone Instructor'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 Instructor Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Drone Instructor'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 Instructor 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 Instructors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $69,716.
California: $69,452.
Massachusetts: $68,526.
District of Columbia$69,716
California$69,452
Massachusetts$68,526
Washington$68,274
New Jersey$68,249
Alaska$68,161
Connecticut$67,292
New York$66,939
Hawaii$65,812
Rhode Island$65,283
Maryland$64,924
Minnesota$64,433
Colorado$64,244
Illinois$64,181
Oregon$63,942
Delaware$63,766
New Hampshire$63,655
Virginia$63,407
Pennsylvania$62,683
Nevada$62,318
North Dakota$62,198
Michigan$62,009
Wisconsin$61,940
Vermont$61,801
Texas$61,417
Maine$61,392
Arizona$61,354
Ohio$61,310
Georgia$60,731
Indiana$60,441
Wyoming$60,384
Utah$60,296
Iowa$60,259
Kansas$59,956
Louisiana$59,868
North Carolina$59,837
Missouri$59,824
Florida$59,579
Montana$59,446
Nebraska$59,320
Kentucky$59,251
South Carolina$58,999
Tennessee$58,842
Idaho$58,779
New Mexico$58,319
Oklahoma$58,218
Alabama$57,847
South Dakota$57,224
Arkansas$56,884
West Virginia$56,701
Mississippi$56,153
Top Paying Cities for Drone Instructors
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: $79,419
San Francisco: $78,550
Oakland: $76,894
San Jose, CA$79,419
San Francisco, CA$78,550
Oakland, CA$76,894
New York, NY$72,499
Paramus, NJ$71,617
Queens Village, NY$71,614
Passaic, NJ$71,554
Bergenfield, NJ$71,548
Stamford, CT$71,410
Huntington, NY$71,384
Newark, NJ$70,919
Bridgeport, CT$70,786
Vallejo, CA$70,661
New Brunswick, NJ$70,635
Petaluma, CA$70,598
Middlesex, NJ$70,478
Somerset, NJ$70,434
Santa Cruz, CA$70,352
Boston, MA$69,968
Monterey, CA$69,747
Seattle, WA$69,603
Santa Rosa, CA$69,590
Los Angeles, CA$69,571
Juneau, AK$69,408
Washington, DC$69,338
Orange, CA$69,114
Santa Ana, CA$68,948
Long Beach, CA$68,885
Anaheim, CA$68,872
Anchorage, AK$68,841
Santa Maria, CA$68,652
Everett, WA$68,639
Danbury, CT$68,418
Bremerton, WA$68,331
Tacoma, WA$68,104
New Suffolk, NY$68,103
Sacramento, CA$68,085
Santa Barbara, CA$68,016
Trenton, NJ$67,947
San Diego, CA$67,947
Brockton, MA$67,877
Fairbanks, AK$67,723
Lompoc, CA$67,563
Lowell, MA$67,512
Ventura, CA$67,500
Nashua, NH$67,487
Stockton, CA$67,481
Modesto, CA$67,021
Poughkeepsie, NY$66,883
Olympia, WA$66,763
Kennewick, WA$66,763
New Haven, CT$66,738
Lawrence, MA$66,511
Hartford, CT$66,448
Riverside, CA$66,436
New Bedford, MA$66,373
Richland, WA$66,373
Bakersfield, CA$66,284
San Bernardino, CA$66,259
New Britain, CT$66,253
Atlantic City, NJ$66,253
New London, CT$66,228
Norwich, CT$66,209
Portsmouth, NH$66,196
Boulder, CO$66,063
Portland, OR$65,976
Worcester, MA$65,970
Minneapolis, MN$65,774
Philadelphia, PA$65,686
Honolulu, HI$65,478
Saint Paul, MN$65,448
Vineland, NJ$65,434
Providence, RI$65,252
Chicago, IL$65,069
Bellingham, WA$64,994
Springfield, MA$64,943
Baltimore, MD$64,924
Chico, CA$64,767
Pittsfield, MA$64,597
Manchester, NH$64,477
Spokane, WA$64,200
Denver, CO$64,194
Albany, NY$63,898
Troy, NY$63,873
Nassau, NY$63,805
Schenectady, NY$63,741
Wilmington, DE$63,690
Burlington, VT$63,602
Salem, OR$63,577
Portland, ME$63,382
Yakima, WA$63,319
Rochester, MN$63,124
Reno, NV$63,092
Fresno, CA$63,092
Milwaukee, WI$63,035
Detroit, MI$62,972
Ann Arbor, MI$62,962
Allentown, PA$62,954
Colorado Springs, CO$62,846
Syracuse, NY$62,815
Carson City, NV$62,815
Houston, TX$62,727
Eugene, OR$62,695
Gary, IN$62,620
Springfield, OR$62,569
Bismarck, ND$62,557
Galveston, TX$62,513
Medford, OR$62,418
Fort Collins, CO$62,393
Concord, NH$62,362
Austin, TX$62,343
Mesa, AZ$62,211
Reading, PA$62,204
Phoenix, AZ$62,198
Dallas, TX$62,179
Saint Cloud, MN$62,119
Madison, WI$62,034
Utica, NY$61,864
Rochester, NY$61,763
Des Moines, IA$61,757
Raleigh, NC$61,751
Atlanta, GA$61,656
Battle Creek, MI$61,638
Salt Lake City, UT$61,619
Lancaster, PA$61,524
Harrisburg, PA$61,436
Kansas City, MO$61,373
Champaign, IL$61,360
Kansas City, KS$61,360
Fort Worth, TX$61,354
Columbus, OH$61,343
Boca Raton, FL$61,329
Pittsburgh, PA$61,304
Richmond, VA$61,279
Indianapolis, IN$61,266
Cleveland, OH$61,260
Las Vegas, NV$61,184
Cincinnati, OH$61,184
Petersburg, VA$61,090
Huntsville, AL$60,995
Lansing, MI$60,953
Lebanon, PA$60,945
Pueblo, CO$60,939
Appleton, WI$60,920
Buffalo, NY$60,895
Dayton, OH$60,876
Racine, WI$60,863
Charlotte, NC$60,857
Saint Louis, MO$60,838
York, PA$60,800
Elkhart, IN$60,800
Gastonia, NC$60,788
Billings, MT$60,773
Beaumont, TX$60,756
Lorain, OH$60,743
Benton Harbor, MI$60,731
Toledo, OH$60,718
Binghamton, NY$60,687
Rock Hill, SC$60,680
Rockford, IL$60,649
Springfield, IL$60,624
Elyria, OH$60,617
Fargo, ND$60,617
Flagstaff, AZ$60,573
Fort Lauderdale, FL$60,536
Duluth, MN$60,498
Miami, FL$60,498
Cheyenne, WY$60,454
Grand Forks, ND$60,454
Bangor, ME$60,315
Cedar Rapids, IA$60,246
Durham, NC$60,220
Louisville, KY$60,214
Grand Rapids, MI$60,202
Hialeah, FL$60,196
Casper, WY$60,107
Scranton, PA$60,032
New Orleans, LA$60,013
Virginia Beach, VA$60,007
Akron, OH$59,975
Peoria, IL$59,893
Sarasota, FL$59,881
Nashville, TN$59,837
Omaha, NE$59,837
Green Bay, WI$59,837
Baton Rouge, LA$59,805
Charleston, SC$59,793
Jamestown, NY$59,761
Davenport, IA$59,761
Tucson, AZ$59,730
Saint Petersburg, FL$59,692
Tampa, FL$59,679
Evansville, IN$59,641
Port Arthur, TX$59,641
Bradenton, FL$59,616
Santa Fe, NM$59,503
Orlando, FL$59,390
Clearwater, FL$59,371
Canton, OH$59,239
La Crosse, WI$59,239
Albuquerque, NM$59,201
Newport News, VA$59,194
High Point, NC$59,176
Ogden, UT$59,150
Corpus Christi, TX$59,100
Norfolk, VA$59,062
Laramie, WY$59,062
Rock Island, IL$59,024
Saginaw, MI$59,012
Jacksonville, FL$59,006
Salisbury, NC$58,993
Boise, ID$58,980
Moline, IL$58,949
Fort Myers, FL$58,930
Memphis, TN$58,917
Tulsa, OK$58,886
Waterloo, IA$58,848
Spartanburg, SC$58,785
Lincoln, NE$58,754
Fort Wayne, IN$58,741
Provo, UT$58,735
Cedar Falls, IA$58,659
San Antonio, TX$58,634
Greensboro, NC$58,609
South Bend, IN$58,603
Savannah, GA$58,533
Muskegon, MI$58,508
Birmingham, AL$58,502
Winston Salem, NC$58,471
Lake Charles, LA$58,319
Anderson, IN$58,307
Lexington, KY$58,288
Augusta, GA$58,269
Greenville, SC$58,269
Lima, OH$58,218
Wichita, KS$58,212
Tuscaloosa, AL$58,212
Columbia, SC$58,155
Springfield, OH$58,143
Asheville, NC$58,042
Bloomington, IN$57,998
Knoxville, TN$57,771
Shreveport, LA$57,765
Wilmington, NC$57,683
Roanoke, VA$57,683
Topeka, KS$57,570
Frankfort, KY$57,563
Oklahoma City, OK$57,520
Chillicothe, OH$57,494
Longview, TX$57,488
Melbourne, FL$57,482
Sioux Falls, SD$57,381
Mobile, AL$57,375
Terre Haute, IN$57,350
Altoona, PA$57,312
Amarillo, TX$57,268
Killeen, TX$57,249
Fayetteville, AR$57,198
Chattanooga, TN$57,180
Sioux City, IA$57,123
Idaho Falls, ID$57,110
Lynchburg, VA$57,060
Gainesville, FL$56,978
Portsmouth, OH$56,947
Little Rock, AR$56,934
Lafayette, LA$56,909
Youngstown, OH$56,909
Daytona Beach, FL$56,871
Clarksville, TN$56,865
Pensacola, FL$56,858
Temple, TX$56,854
Hopkinsville, KY$56,669
Erie, PA$56,657
Florence, SC$56,632
Charleston, WV$56,531
Great Falls, MT$56,499
Macon, GA$56,411
Tallahassee, FL$56,405
Fayetteville, NC$56,392
Waco, TX$56,380
Helena, MT$56,336
Pine Bluff, AR$56,312
Vincennes, IN$56,235
Lubbock, TX$56,210
Alamogordo, NM$56,172
Twin Falls, ID$56,115
Rapid City, SD$56,096
Jackson, MS$55,983
Huntington, WV$55,979
Greenville, MS$55,977
Parkersburg, WV$55,913
Montgomery, AL$55,901
Wichita Falls, TX$55,838
Springfield, MO$55,838
Biloxi, MS$55,807
Monroe, LA$55,744
Johnstown, PA$55,700
Sumter, SC$55,675
Columbus, GA$55,668
Pascagoula, MS$55,549
Abilene, TX$55,549
Kingsport, TN$55,385
Albany, GA$55,385
Gulfport, MS$55,366
Alexandria, LA$55,158
Fort Smith, AR$55,001
El Paso, TX$54,831
Las Cruces, NM$54,548
Harlingen, TX$54,388
Pocatello, ID$54,378
Florence, AL$54,296
Brownsville, TX$54,283
Mcallen, TX$54,151
Dothan, AL$54,063
Columbus, MS$53,689
Altus, OK$53,395
Lawton, OK$53,276
Pierre, SD$53,049
What Skills Can Increase a Drone Instructor's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Storytelling (Mentioned in 6.56% Job Postings): Planning, creating and presenting stories or narratives to achieve diverse personal and business goals.
News Reporting (Mentioned in 3.78% Job Postings): News reporting involves discovering all relevant facts, selecting and presenting the important facts and weaving a comprehensive story. Reporting involves hard work, which in turn involves stamina and patience. The main function of journalistic profession is news reporting.
Public Relations (Mentioned in 1.98% Job Postings): Public relations (PR) is the practice of deliberately managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) and the public. Public relations may include an organization or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. This differentiates it from advertising as a form of marketing communications. Public relations is the idea of creating coverage for clients for free, rather than marketing or advertising. But now, advertising is also a part of greater PR Activities. An example of good public relations would be generating an article featuring a client, rather than paying for the client to be advertised next to the article. The aim of public relations is to inform the public, prospective customers, investors, partners, employees, and other stakeholders and ultimately persuade them to maintain a positive or favorable view about the organization, its leadership, products, or political decisions. Public relations professionals typically work for PR and marketing firms, businesses and companies, government, and public officials as PIOs and nongovernmental organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Jobs central to public relations include account coordinator, account executive, account supervisor, and media relations manager.
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 Instructor's salary.
Media Relations: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Public Relations: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Drone Instructor Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Drone Instructor roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Media,
offers compensation 30% above the average. Conversely,
Drone Instructor positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Drone Instructor as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Drone Instructor
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Media
$81,856
$39.0
30%
How Education impacts a Drone Instructor's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Drone Instructors enter the field with a No Diploma 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 Instructor with a No Diploma is between
$53,494
and $56,188).
Drone Instructor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Drone Instructor'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 September 01, 2026
$56,961
Average$62,966/year
$69,772
$4,747
Average$5,247/month
$5,814
$1,095
Average$1,211/week
$1,342
$27
Average$30/hour
$34
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$69,772
$5,814
$1,342
$34
Average
$62,966
$5,247
$1,211
$30
25th Percentile
$56,961
$4,747
$1,095
$27
Salaries of Jobs related to Drone Instructor
Flight Instructor$119,112
Drone Engineer$93,121
Uav Drone Pilot$89,596
Instructor - Rehabilitation$67,573
Instructor$64,531
Instructor - History$64,488
Instructor - Nursing$63,546
Instructor - English$61,418
Drone Operator$49,666
Drone Pilot$48,115
Drone Technician$40,738
Salary Trends for Drone Instructor
Salaries for a Drone Instructor can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $69,482 in 2023
to around $68,977 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Drone Instructor salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Drone Instructor Over Time
$???
$69,482
$69,274
$68,977
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$69,482
2024
$69,274
2025
$68,977
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Drone Instructor
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Drone Instructor
Here are companies hiring for Drone Instructor 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 Instructor
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Drone Instructor?
The Media industry offers the highest average compensation for Drone Instructor 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.
