Drone Operator Salary in the United States

Drone Operator Salary

How much does a Drone Operator make?

As of March 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Drone Operator in the United States is $52,946. According to Salary.com, salaries can range from a low of $42,020 to a high of $66,215, with most professionals earning between $47,227 and $59,891.

Develop a Job description
Pay Equity
Salary Grading Scale
Pay Strategy
2024 Compensation Trend
Compensation Consulting
Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits
Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
View as table View as graph
Drone Operator Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Drone Operator Salary $42,020 US March 01, 2025
25th Percentile Drone Operator Salary $47,227 US March 01, 2025
50th Percentile Drone Operator Salary $52,946 US March 01, 2025
75th Percentile Drone Operator Salary $59,891 US March 01, 2025
90th Percentile Drone Operator Salary $66,215 US March 01, 2025
25% $47,227 10% $42,020 90% $66,215 75% $59,891 $52,946 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
Employers: Find Surveys For This Job Employers: Price Your Company Jobs Employees: View your Salary
Change Search Criteria
See it in Action

Drone Operator

Review the job openings, similar jobs, level of education, and experience requirements for the Drone Operator job to confirm that it is the job you are seeking.

See user submitted job responsibilities for Drone Operator.

Search Drone Operator Job Openings

Job Openings for Drone Operator

Career Path for this job

  1. Down a level:

    Machine Operator I

    0 - 1 years experience
    High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

  2. This Job:

    Drone Operator

    1 - 3 years experience
    High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

  3. Up a level:

    Machine Operator III

    3 - 5 years experience
    High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

Not the job you're looking for? Search more salaries here:

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Drone Operator, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
47227
59891
52946

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
47862
61106
53852
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Drone Operator in the United States. The base salary for Drone Operator ranges from $47,227 to $59,891 with the average base salary of $52,946. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $47,862 to $61,106 with the average total cash compensation of $53,852.

Discover how your pay is adjusted for skills, experience, and other factors

How much should you be paid?

For a real-time salary target, tell us more about your role in the four categories below.

47227
59891

 

Recently searched related titles: Food Production Worker, Heavy Machine Operator, Forge Operator

Learn more about: Compensation Packages, Employee Flight Risk, Gender Pay Gap, Job Openings for This Role

Jobs with a similar salary range to Drone Operator : Deburr Technician, Die Cast Operator, Agricultural Equipment Operator