How to Become a Commercial Drone Pilot (Part 107)
Operate sUAS commercially under FAA Part 107 — niches include real estate, surveying, inspection, agriculture, public safety, and cinematography.
Salary by Career Stage
Entry
$30-$80/hour as freelancer; $40,000-$60,000 as employee
Mid-Career
$80,000-$130,000 (specialist mapping/inspection)
Senior
$150,000-$250,000+ (UAV program manager, EnerJet/Skydio enterprise)
Most income earned in real estate, mapping, infrastructure inspection. Cinema work pays best per gig but is extremely competitive.
Requirements
Licenses & Ratings
- • FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
Flight Hours
None for entry — knowledge test only
Medical
None
Min Age
16
Additional Certifications
- • Recurrent training every 24 months (online module)
- • Niche-specific certs (e.g., NDT for inspection)
Pros
- + Lowest entry barrier of any aviation career ($150 test + drone)
- + High autonomy — many work freelance
- + Growing demand in inspection/mapping verticals
Cons
- − Race-to-the-bottom pricing in real estate niche
- − Equipment costs scale fast (mapping rigs $20-50k)
- − Weather and regulation limitations
- − Saturated entry-level market
Top Employers
A Day in the Life
Site arrival, airspace check (B4UFLY / LAANC), pre-flight, mission execution (autonomous orbit, mapping grid, or live cinema), post-flight, data deliverables, invoice.
Training Path
- 1Study Part 107 (~20-40 hours)
- 2Pass FAA Part 107 Knowledge Test
- 3Build portfolio in chosen niche
- 4Add specialist certs (LAANC waiver, BVLOS, FAA 107.29 waiver, NDT)
Key Traits for Success
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make $100,000/year as a drone pilot?
Yes, but not in real estate. Six-figure drone careers come from mapping (UAV photogrammetry), infrastructure inspection (cell towers, wind turbines, pipelines), or enterprise program management.
Is Part 107 hard?
Most students pass with 20-40 hours of study. The test is multiple choice, 60 questions, 70% to pass. Hardest topics: airspace classification, METAR decoding, regulations.
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