Also called: Air Force 18X, Drone pilot, MQ-9 Reaper pilot
Flies large military drones like the MQ-9 Reaper from a ground control station, often thousands of miles away.
RPA pilots work in shifts in a dark control room, flying surveillance and strike missions over another continent and then driving home for dinner. They work closely with sensor operators and intelligence analysts. The skills transfer to commercial drone operations and aviation.
RMC for officers O-1 to O-5, 2026 estimate, plus aviation incentive pay (up to $1,000/month) and pilot retention bonuses of up to $50,000/year for those who sign on for more years. Airline pilot jobs after service often pay $200k-$350k+.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's degree and Air Force commission, then about a year of RPA training. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, 4-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Aviation, Aerospace Engineering, Any major.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Medium risk for 10 years. Drones fly more of their own routes, so one crew handles several; judgment on strikes stays human.
Classes: AP Physics, Computer science, Geography.
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.