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Part 107 study · Certbound

How to become a drone pilot, and what the job pays

To fly a drone for work in the U.S., you need the FAA's Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107. The FAA's steps for a first-time pilot are an FTN, the UAG knowledge test, an application in IACRA and a TSA security check.

Pay is harder to pin down. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no separate wage figure for drone pilots, so there is no official "drone pilot salary". The closest official number, and what it covers, is explained below.

How do you become a drone pilot?

  1. Check that your flying needs Part 107. The FAA says Part 107 covers almost all flying that is not purely for fun, paid or not. Read Do you need a drone license? if you are unsure.
  2. Meet the eligibility rules. The FAA requires you to be at least 16, read, speak, write and understand English, and be in a physical and mental condition to fly safely.
  3. Get an FTN. Create an IACRA profile to receive your FAA Tracking Number before booking the test.
  4. Pass the UAG knowledge test. Book "Unmanned Aircraft General – Small" at an FAA-approved testing center and bring a government-issued photo ID. Part 107 test cost and booking has the fee and the booking steps.
  5. Apply for the certificate. Complete FAA Form 8710-13 in IACRA with your 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID. After the TSA check, you print a temporary certificate; the permanent one comes by mail.
  6. Register your drone and keep current. Register in FAA DroneZone, meet the Remote ID rule, and complete free recurrent training every 24 calendar months.

How to get a drone license walks through each step in detail, including the separate path for pilots who already hold a Part 61 certificate.

What kind of work needs a Part 107 certificate?

The FAA's examples of flights that are not recreational include:

  • Taking photos to help sell a property.
  • Inspecting roofs.
  • Taking photos for a school's website.
  • Surveying coastline as a volunteer for a nonprofit.

The last one is unpaid and still not recreational. What decides the path is the purpose of the flight, not whether you are paid.

How much do drone pilots make?

There is no official figure for drone pilots. The BLS does not track them as a separate occupation, and Certbound will not print a number from job boards or salary sites as if it were one.

The closest official number comes from how the BLS classifies the job. In the 2018 SOC direct match title file, "Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator" and "Unmanned Air Systems Operator" fall under occupation 17-3024, Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians. The SOC definition of that occupation says its workers "may operate unmanned submarines, aircraft, or other equipment" to record visual information at sites such as oil rigs, crop fields and buildings.

The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook puts the median annual wage for 17-3024 at $73,900 in May 2025, from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. Read it with three limits:

  • It covers the whole occupation, which also includes workers who test and maintain robotic and automated equipment without flying drones.
  • It counts employees only. The OOH says its wage data do not include pay for self-employed workers, so freelance drone work is not in it.
  • It is a national figure, not a quote for any job or region.

BLS figures for "Commercial Pilots" (53-2012) do not apply either. The SOC defines that occupation as pilots of fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters who hold a Commercial Pilot certificate, and it explicitly excludes 17-3024.

A Part 107 certificate lets you fly for work. It does not come with a job or a rate.

How do you study for the Part 107 test?

The FAA publishes the study material for free, and no course is required; Part 107 course or self-study compares the options. Start with the free Part 107 practice test, 46 FAA sample questions with Certbound's answers and sources, and read Part 107 rules for the regulation itself.

State law adds rules on top of Part 107. See Texas drone license and California drone license. FAA and BLS sources checked October 21, 2026.

Practice in Certbound

Start with the 46 published FAA sample questions. Certbound supplies the answers, explanations and cited sources. The app is not affiliated with the FAA.