How to become a drone pilot, from first question to first client

Choose the work before you choose a drone. The people who earn steadily usually add drone flying to something they already do: a real estate photographer adds aerials, a roofer checks roofs without a ladder, a landscaper fills the slow months.

Pay depends heavily on the work. PhotoUp's 2026 guide puts a real estate drone package at $150 to $400 per property, with a median around $225. For full-time jobs, Indeed's drone pilot salary page shows a range of about $44,000 to $152,000 a year, drawn from 258 job postings.

Check that you actually need the license, too. If the flight helps a business in any way, paid or not, the answer is almost always yes.

IACRA is the FAA's online certification system. Creating a profile there gives you an FAA Tracking Number, or FTN, which you need before you can register for the test. It's also printed on your test report.

While you are at it, set up your account with PSI, the testing company. PSI now asks for an authenticator app when you create an account, so install one on your phone first.

The test is 60 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, and you need 70% to pass. PSI adds 5 unscored questions, and the time limit already allows for them.

PSI's current test bulletin weights regulations at 48% of the test, so the rules deserve most of your hours. Weather is 5%, but the METAR codes still catch people who skip them.

You get a printed chart supplement at the test center, so practice reading those figures. From October 26, 2026, the test also adds image questions taken from current sectional charts that are not in the supplement.

You don't need flight hours or your own drone to take the test.

Book online at faa.psiexams.com or by phone at 844-704-1487. No instructor sign-off is needed, even for a retake. You can take the test from age 14, though you have to be 16 to hold the certificate.

Bring a valid ID showing your photo, date of birth, signature and home address. Arrive at least 15 minutes early, and cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours ahead or you can lose the fee.

Phones, watches, wallets, pens and even shirts with pockets stay out of the testing room. The center hands you the supplement booklet, scratch paper and something to write with.

You get your test report as soon as you finish. A passing report is good for 24 calendar months for applying for your certificate. If you fail, you wait 14 days and bring the failed report when you retake.

In IACRA, start a new application for a Remote Pilot certificate (FAA Form 8710-13), enter the 17-digit exam ID from your test report and sign. Your result can take up to 48 hours to appear there, so wait before you start.

The TSA runs a background check first. When it clears, IACRA emails you instructions to print a temporary certificate, which is valid for up to 120 days while the plastic card comes by mail.

While you fly under Part 107, carry your certificate and ID. To keep flying, you complete a free online recurrent course every 24 calendar months, counted to the end of the month.

Any drone you fly under Part 107 has to be registered for that use, and the registration lasts 3 years. The under-250-gram exemption only covers recreational flying, so a small drone used for a job still needs it. Put the registration number on the outside of the drone.

Your drone also has to meet Remote ID, either built in or through a broadcast module, unless you only fly inside an FAA-recognized identification area.

For insurance, insurers quote roughly $500 to $1,000 a year for $1 million in liability cover, and on-demand policies run about $5 to $15 an hour of flying.

Then fly. Practice somewhere open and away from people, and check the airspace first, because controlled airspace near airports needs an authorization even for practice.

Shoot a handful of photos you're proud of before you pitch. One part-time pilot on r/RealEstatePhotography wrote that he practiced on his own house, waited until he had five shots he liked, then offered top local agents a free collaboration shoot and heard back from more than five of them.

Price from real ranges, and adjust for your town. One working pilot on r/Part107 shared typical rates of $150 to $400 for a roof and $500 to $2,000 a month for a construction retainer. Treat those as one person's rate card rather than what you will earn.

Set up the business side as you go: an LLC or DBA, any state or local license, and a plan for taxes. Costs run roughly $50 to $500 depending on the state.