Also called: Crop Spraying Drone Operator, UAS Crop Scout
Flies drones over farms to map crops, spot problems and spray fields.
At sunrise you launch a spray drone from the back of your truck and fly it in neat passes over a soybean field. Between flights you refill tanks, swap batteries and check a map of where the drone found weed hot spots.
Many are self-employed; seasonal pay can vary a lot.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 0 years after high school. High school plus FAA Part 107 drone license and pesticide applicator license; Part 137 for spraying.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Agronomy.
Growing much faster than average. Rapidly growing new job.
Medium risk for 10 years. Drones fly more autonomously, so one pilot runs several; licensing, mixing chemicals and field judgment stay human.
Age 18+. One way to start: Study for and pass the FAA Part 107 test, then apply to spray-drone companies; they need a pesticide license too First: FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate and a state pesticide applicator license
Classes: Agriculture CTE, Earth science, Computer science, Chemistry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-2099.
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.