Also called: Aerial Applicator, Ag Pilot
Flies low over farm fields spraying fertilizer, seed, or crop protection, often just 10 feet off the ground.
You take off at sunrise when the air is calm, swoop down over a cornfield, pull up just before the tree line, and turn around for the next pass. Between loads, a ground crew refills your tank in minutes. Busy season means long days; winters can be slow.
Estimated; often paid by the acre, so a strong season can pay very well.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 2 years after high school. Commercial pilot certificate plus specialized ag-flying training and a state applicator license; most start as loaders or ground crew.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, Trade school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Aviation / Professional Pilot, Agricultural Science.
Growing about average. Small, specialized field with a shortage of experienced ag pilots.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Spray drones are taking small and odd-shaped fields; big-acreage aerial spraying stays piloted through the decade.
Classes: Physics, Agriculture science CTE, Algebra II.
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.