Also called: Infrastructure Inspection Pilot
Flies drones up close to bridges, wind turbines, cell towers, and power lines to find damage so people don't have to climb.
You fly within feet of a wind turbine blade, capturing high-res photos and thermal images, then flag cracks in a report for engineers.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 0 years after high school. FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate plus industry training; thermography certification helps.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, 2-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
Growing much faster than average. BLS does not track drone pilots separately; demand is growing quickly.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Docked drones now fly inspections by themselves and AI spots damage, so fewer pilots; complex close-up work stays human.
Age 18+. One way to start: Pass the FAA Part 107 test, then sign up with drone gig networks that send pilots on inspections First: FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate
Classes: Physics, Electronics CTE, Earth science, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-2012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.