Ways To Make Money With A Drone

ways to make money with drone — how to make money with drones

Do you want to make money with a drone? Drones have become so accessible and inexpensive that just about anyone can afford to do aerial photography today. Something that was once limited to the professionals is now available for photo amateurs, enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs. So, how to make money with a drone?

Did you know you can make an entire career out of piloting drones — and earn up to a six-figure salary doing it?

Here, we’ll talk about the many ways you can earn money by being a professional drone pilot and the benefits drones can offer to particular industries. We’ll also tell you how you can get started in this budding and lucrative industry.

Aerial photographs are quite impressive and are sought out by event planners, art collectors, and by a variety of industries and businesses. It has become easy to sell your aerial images and make money with your drone.

Equipment For Making Money With Drones

The first thing you need to know before you want to start selling photos or videos taken with your drone is that the images have to be top quality.

It’s important to have a good camera and provide high quality and sharp images. Nobody will purchase blurred images that look like they were taken with a cheap drone or by an inexperienced photographer. This is worth remembering if you want to make money with drones.

If you are serious in your endeavor, it’s worth investing in professional equipment. As you take on more contracts and start making money, you can buy more gear and gadgets for your drone like a gimbal and other items that will give you the opportunity to take better photos.

How To Make Money With A Drone

What is a Drone?

A drone, also called an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is a flying machine operated from a distance by a pilot (like you or me) with a remote control (such as your cell phone). Learn how To Make Money With A Drone.

Whereas before, helicopters were needed for pictures from high up in the air, drones have made it much easier for the average person to take photos and videos.

Drones are used for many things, like taking amazing pictures from the sky, delivering packages, and inspecting the top of buildings that are high off the ground.

Some popular drone brands like DJI have really good cameras and special features that make them easy to use too.

How Much Money Can You Make Flying Drones?

How much you can earn as a drone pilot depends on how much experience you have, what kind of services you sell, and how much demand there is for those services where you live.

According to Glassdoor, a drone pilot can make around $65,000 a year, with some making well over $100,000 each year.

What Are The Top Drone Career Opportunities? Make Money With A Drone

There are many career possibilities when it comes to drones. If you do it as a side hustle, you can create content for:

YouTube Channels. Sponsorships and advertising can make YouTube channels lucrative if they have a big enough audience. If you can get companies to use your material in their own media, this will bring even more traffic to your page.
Weddings and Other Events.
Stock Images (for sites such as Getty and Shutterstock). While selling stock photography might not sound particularly glorious in the drone business, keep in mind that this type of media is often used in movies and TV shows, making it potentially very profitable.

ways to make money flying drones — How to become a drone pilot

However, you can also be employed as a drone pilot. Companies may hire you for:

Mining
Forestry
Agriculture
Construction
Surveying & mapping
Real estate photography
Infrastructure inspection

Are you already a licensed professional pilot in the drone industry? Consider seeking out opportunities to teach others how to pilot drones safely. Given that the demand for drone pilots is increasing, so is the need for instructors.

Ways To Make Money With A Drone

Below are 17 ways to make money with a drone. Whether you want to learn how to make money with drone videos or drone pictures, there are many ideas that you could try.

1. Real Estate Photos

One of the most popular options to make money with a drone is real estate photography. Real estate agents heavily rely on photos and videos to highlight their property listings and attract prospective buyers.

Traditional photos and videos often leave much to be desired. That’s why many agencies hire drone pilots to take aerial shots and present their properties in their full glory.

As a drone pilot, you can sell real estate photography services to real estate agents which helps them show the properties that they are trying to sell.

2. Make Money With A Drone – Aerial Photography and Videography

Still staying in the realm of photography, you could use your drone for aerial photography and videography for magazines, websites, independent businesses, and more. You’d be surprised at how many companies need such services.

Aerial photography and videography are popular for many different events, such as sports and concerts.

Sporting events and concerts typically pay for drone photos because it helps give them more images of the full picture of the event they are hosting as well as a different perspective. This can help them to sell more tickets in the future and gain more publicity.

Depending on your specialization, you could take landscape photos and videos with your drone, shoot commercial properties for advertising, or even help create marketing content for different types of businesses. This is a creative and fun way to make money with a drone.

3. Mapping

Many industries hire drone photographers to take aerial photographs for a variety of reasons. This can be a very lucrative business to pursue if you are an experienced drone photographer.

Here is a list of industries that regularly hire the services of photographers to provide aerial photos or video.

Topography
Landscaping
Forest Industry
Mining Industry
Archeology Industry
Construction Industry

4. Building Inspection Services

Building and roof inspection services are always in high demand, as homeowners and building owners need to look for possible damages or maintenance issues.

Drone operators can inspect roofs and tall buildings safely and quickly with a drone. I personally know a few roof and building inspectors who regularly use drones to help them with their work.

Instead of spending a ton of time climbing onto a roof (or going on one that may be dangerous to begin with), they can simply turn on their drone and take pictures in order to get a better idea of what is going on.

After all, drones can go where humans can’t, or at least where it’s risky, time-consuming, or expensive for humans to go.

5. Influencer or Blogger

Another way to gather clients is by publishing on social media. With drones like the DJI Mini 3 Pro, you can take pictures or videos in portrait mode.

That way, you don’t need to heavily edit your footage, making it easy to upload daily content. You’ll grow your audience by continuously posting your content on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

You can increase your followers to the point where companies and brands contact you to offer you gigs. Drone manufacturers like Autel and DJI may contact you to advertise their products on your page.

They will ask you to put their links in your bio. Then you earn a commission for every sale, or they’ll pay you for the time their link is on your account.

6. Surveillance/Security

Another field to look into and that can be quite profitable is the surveillance industry. Many industries hire drone photographers to keep watch over properties or to document events. This can be private companies or government offices.

7. Hotel Photos and Ads

Drone photos of hotels and Airbnbs can help to sell more rooms better because customers can see the surrounding area and what the whole building looks like.

This may help a person to see that there is a beach or a mountain nearby, or perhaps that it is close to the center of a city.

8. YouTube Videos Make Money With A Drone

Starting a YouTube channel that shares your drone footage can also earn you income. As you gain subscribers and views, you can earn advertising income and sponsorship deals or paid collaborations.

9. Filmmaking

If you have a story to tell, follow your heart and make art with your drone. It may not be an immediate path to extra cash, but if you create something special, you can enter it in a drone festival and potentially win big prizes.

For example, the Boston Drone Film Festival offers winners a backpack full of gear and a seven-day grand prize trip. If submitting to festivals doesn’t pan out, you can also win cash prizes or ask for tips on AirVuz, which is essentially YouTube for drone artists.

10. Drone Journalism Make Money With A Drone

The most common scenario where you need a cameraman is in journalism. Drones work as a cameraman that can reach difficult-to-access places like mines and volcanos.

Ways to make money with photography and videos

Drones can even film with tremendous detail in foggy environments and low light. You can also make your drone record while following you as you speak through an event scenario.

News agencies can give insights into extraordinary events with spectacular takes from the sky.

11. Structural or Building Inspection

Drones provide a safer and more cost-effective way to inspect an asset and identify what repairs are needed. For example, a drone can more easily inspect the inside of a large chimney or reach the top of a cell phone tower than a human being.

Several industries require inspections and could benefit from the use of a drone. These can include construction sites, utility towers, and nuclear power plants.

To get started, consider reaching out to local home inspectors for opportunities in your area. Inspectors sometimes work with freelance drone pilots to perform overhead roof inspections. You can also get certified as a home inspector yourself and add drone inspection jobs as part of your services.

A variety of industries and utility companies will hire drone photographers to inspect buildings, works, or facilities for specific reasons.

Here are a few companies that may require drone footage or photographs.

Construction
Insurance Companies
Utility Services (Power, telephone, water, gas, etc.)

This drone photography business may need you to inspect sites for any damages. Having basic knowledge of the industry you want to work with will help you to know what to look for so you can provide the best material.

12. Aerial Mapping and Surveying

Drones can be used for mapping and surveying tasks, such as creating topographic maps, assessing land for development, and for agricultural inspections.

This is because with a drone you can map out large areas extremely quickly. I did a quick Google search for the job “aerial mapping drone pilot” and found a lot of different openings too!

13. Teach Flying Techniques Make Money With A Drone

If you have reached the level of experience where you have mastered your drone and aerial photography, you can decide to teach your skills to photographers who are just getting into the business.

14. Selling Stock Photos or Videos

Many of the photos you see on the internet are stock photos, including on this page. Companies often pay for access to stock photography to use in marketing, instructional, or other online or print materials.

To meet this need, there are a variety of websites that buy stock photos and videos from individual photographers. Most pay a commission to the photographer when the photo or video is sold. Rates typically differ for exclusive photos and non-exclusive photos, but this can make for a nice way to earn passive income.

Here are a few sites where you could sell your drone photos or video:

500px: Up to 60% commission
Alamy: Up to 50% commission
SmugMug: Set your own prices
Twenty20: 50% commission plus challenge bonuses
Stocksy: Up to 75% commission (exclusive photos only)

15. Wedding Photos and Video

Drone photography is becoming more popular at weddings, with photographers reporting increasingly common requests for aerial video. A drone can emphasize the beauty of the location at destination weddings in one seamless shot in ways a videographer can’t.

You can either network with clients directly or reach out to local wedding photography businesses and ask about partnering with them. To find newlyweds looking for aerial wedding photography, consider using a freelance platform like Thumbtack to get leads.

wedding drone photography — Wedding Drone Photography

16. Agriculture Mapping Make Money With A Drone

In the same vein, agriculture uses drone mapping to determine crop health. Farmers know exactly which action to take on each crop or crop area.

Drones even tell you how to use your agricultural machinery for an improved crop. What tools are ideal for that crop’s healthy and fast growth? You’ll know with this specialized drone mapping software.

Then you can use drones to spray the fields with fertilizers, pesticides, or any other mixture with accuracy thanks to the drone’s GPS-assisted hovering.

We will always need agriculture for food sourcing, so this is a present and future drone application.

17. Drone Deliveries

While we’re still a long way away from having everything delivered by a drone, there’s no denying that drone deliveries are becoming increasingly popular. If you aren’t interested in using your drone for photography and surveying, it’s a great alternative.

You could partner with businesses that handle their own deliveries or join order fulfillment services.

way to make money with drome deliveries — way to make money with drone deliveries

Whether this is a good field for you depends mainly on the type of equipment you have. As a general rule of thumb, most drones cannot carry excess weight, so you’ll need powerful equipment designed to carry loads.

Many businesses need to quickly and efficiently deliver packages. Drones can deliver faster, cheaper, and with less pollution than commercial vehicles. Amazon has already rolled out the Prime Air system to deliver packages under 5 pounds to customers in just 30 minutes.

Although most companies use their own drones and hire pilots, there may be opportunities for freelance work with startups or nonprofits on websites like Upwork.

18. Drone Tutoring

Another fun way to make money with a drone is by teaching others how to fly one. If you’re primarily interested in flying your drone for fun and don’t want to get involved in photography, delivery, mapping, surveying, and more, you could offer drone-flying classes.

You’ll get to do precisely what you enjoy, simply piloting your drone. You’ll just have to transfer your knowledge and skills to others as you do so.

How Much Does It Cost To Start a Drone Business?

The total cost to break into the drone market can vary based on the type of equipment you need. For example, you might not need to purchase the very best drone just to get started. But here are some general price ranges for things you might need:

New drone: $500 to $20,000
Computer: $500 to $1,500 for a computer for editing your footage.
Software: $99 to $299 for drone mapping software or photo editing software.
Drone insurance: $500 to $750 per year.
Remote Pilot Certificate: The FAA requires this license to operate drones weighing under 55 pounds. The FAA Part 107 exam for the license will set you back $175.
Business license: A few dollars to several hundred dollars.
Marketing: $0 to $200 per week. Although networking and referrals are free, advertising costs money.
Other equipment: You may also need additional equipment (such as thermal cameras or 3D imaging software) for your drone, depending on your industry.

Other expenses that you may have include a business license, advertising costs, office space, and more.

The amount that you spend to start your drone business will be higher or lower depending on your budget, what kind of drone business you plan on running, and more.

Video and Photography Training

Once you’ve learned how to use your drone, the next step is to get better and better at taking pictures and videos with your drone.

You will want to learn as much as you can about your drone’s camera and the different settings that come with it. You should learn how to set up good shots, how to figure out what kind of lighting you need, how to frame pictures and videos, and more.

Here are some tips to improve your video and photography skills with your drone:

Take a Course – Sign up for a photography or videography course to improve your knowledge of drone camera settings as well as framing and editing techniques. You can easily find a drone photography course online, such as on Udemy.
Practice Regularly – The more you take videos and photographs with your drone, the better you will be.
Learn From Others – I recommend joining online forums or drone pilot Facebook groups to talk with other drone photographers. This can help you to learn new tips that you may not have thought of.

If you get better at flying and taking good pictures or videos with your drone, you can start earning money. Of course, it will take time and lots of practice, though!

Do You Need a License For a Drone Business?

Yes, if you plan to operate a drone for commercial purposes, you should have a Remote Pilot Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). To get this certificate, you must:

Be at least 16 years old
Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English
Pass an aeronautical knowledge test
Be physically and mentally fit to operate a drone
Complete the FAA’s online application

Once you get your Remote Pilot Certificate, you are required to register your drone with the FAA and you will then get a unique identification number.

You can learn more about how to become a drone pilot on the FAA’s website here. Or learn drone licence requirement in Kenya

How To Make Money With A Drone – Summary

I hope you enjoyed this article on how to make money with a drone.

As you can see, there are many different ways to make money with a drone, such as:

Filmmaking
Stock photos
Freelance jobs
Renting drones
YouTube videos
Real estate photos
Instagram content
Aerial photography
Hotel photos and ads
Wedding photography
Drone delivery services
Building inspection services
Aerial mapping and surveying

Q&A

1. How Do I Find a Drone Pilot Job?

Think about the people or businesses that would be most likely to need your services. For example, you might network with realtors or home inspectors for aerial photography.

If you don’t mind having a boss, there are also drone service companies all over the country that may be willing to hire and train you. You can also check drone job boards like Zeitview (former DroneBase) JSfirm, and HireUAVPro for people looking to hire UAV pilots.

2. What Drone Training and Certifications Do You Need?

All professional drone pilots require Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification to obtain a remote pilot certificate. In the U.S., you need to be at least 16 years of age before you can apply for one.

The cost to take this certification is relatively low, typically around $150. It’s possible to take it either online or in person. Specifically, you’re looking for training in unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Once you’ve passed the training, you’re a certified drone pilot.

3. How Profitable is a Drone Business?

Most drone businesses can be set up for around $2,000 to $5,000, depending on the type of equipment and software you need. Most of that cost will go toward a drone itself, which you’ll only need to pay for once.

Even considering drone insurance and marketing, the startup cost for a drone business is relatively low. That means nearly all the profit you get from each drone gig goes straight into your pocket.

4. Can You Make a Living as a Drone Pilot? Make Money With A Drone

There are some full-time jobs for drone pilots, but more typically you’ll be hired as an independent contractor. It’s possible to earn a high income as a professional drone pilot, but you’ll usually need to cover your own health insurance and self-employment tax.

5. Do You Need Insurance to Run a Drone Business?

Having drone insurance isn’t required by the law, but it’s a good idea to get it for your drone business. Insurance helps protect you and your clients in case something goes wrong, such as if there is an accident or problems with the drone.

Drones can be expensive, so insuring them can help to pay for them in case something happens (for example, you could crash them into a building or lose them in the water).

I have personally lost a drone in the water, and insurance gave me a new one right away, which was very nice.

Good Luck, Have Fun Flying Your Drone

The sky is the limit (literally) for your drone business. From the occasional gig to some very lucrative contracts with big industries, you decide how far you want to take it.

There is a strong demand for this type of photography right now and the market is not yet saturated. Yet. It’s an excellent time to get started and to begin making money with your drone. Enjoy your Drone Business.

Final Thoughts On Making Money With A Drone

Piloting a drone can be extremely exciting. While there’s a steep learning curve, it’s easy to get immersed in this hobby and start honing your skills. Once you develop the expertise, you can find dozens of different ways to make money with your drone.