Also called: Crop Duster, Aerial Applicator
Flies small planes or helicopters just a few feet above fields to spray crops, seed rice, or fight pests.
You take off at dawn when the air is still, then fly 10 feet off the ground at 140 mph, pulling up just before the power lines at the end of each row. Between loads you land on a dirt strip while a crew refills your hopper. Summers are brutal 14-hour days; winters can be slow.
Often paid per acre or by season; top pilots in busy regions earn far more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 2 years after high school. Commercial pilot certificate, an FAA ag operator rating, and usually several hundred hours of experience; ag aviation schools exist.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, Military. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Aviation / Professional Pilot, Agricultural Science.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Industry reports a steady shortage of ag pilots as older pilots retire. BLS rolls this into commercial pilots.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. GPS guidance already steers spray runs; drones take small fields, but big-acreage low-level flying stays piloted for now.
Classes: Physics, Algebra II, Agriculture science CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-2012.
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