Transportation
Drone Delivery Operators
SOC 53-2099
Operate commercial drone delivery systems for package transport.
The job
Median pay
$48k
Estimated
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing
Estimated
Openings a year
Not published
BLS does not publish openings for this occupation, and we do not guess one
Typical education
High school plus FAA cert
Our model
AI exposure
Not measured
No task data or O*NET work context for this role, so it is not ranked
Future-proof
39/100
Key skills
- UAV operation
- Navigation
- Regulations
- Route planning
- Technology
Pay and jobs by state: Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (group)
Group figures. BLS reports no numbers for Drone Delivery Operators on its own; this is the group it belongs to. BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1,504,070 | 82.6 | 0.9× | $46k |
| Texas | 1,293,610 | 91.9 | 1.1× | $42k |
| Florida | 811,120 | 81.7 | 0.9× | $40k |
| New York | 640,930 | 66.2 | 0.8× | $47k |
| Illinois | 634,040 | 104.0 | 1.2× | $45k |
| Pennsylvania | 573,840 | 94.6 | 1.1× | $44k |
| Ohio | 529,060 | 95.3 | 1.1× | $43k |
| Georgia | 525,530 | 107.5 | 1.2× | $42k |
| New Jersey | 454,140 | 106.0 | 1.2× | $45k |
| North Carolina | 450,010 | 91.1 | 1.0× | $39k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 376,670 | 85.5 | 1.0× | $42k |
| Tennessee | 369,270 | 112.6 | 1.3× | $42k |
| Indiana | 359,500 | 112.3 | 1.3× | $44k |
| Virginia | 325,070 | 79.1 | 0.9× | $44k |
| Washington | 298,930 | 84.2 | 1.0× | $51k |
| Wisconsin | 274,860 | 93.4 | 1.1× | $45k |
| Arizona | 271,740 | 83.9 | 0.9× | $45k |
| Missouri | 250,310 | 85.3 | 1.0× | $43k |
| Massachusetts | 233,740 | 64.3 | 0.7× | $46k |
| Minnesota | 231,390 | 78.4 | 0.9× | $48k |
| Kentucky | 225,530 | 112.7 | 1.3× | $44k |
| Colorado | 217,920 | 75.8 | 0.9× | $47k |
| Maryland | 213,550 | 77.3 | 0.9× | $45k |
| Alabama | 208,000 | 98.4 | 1.1× | $38k |
| South Carolina | 206,200 | 89.5 | 1.0× | $39k |
| Louisiana | 187,060 | 96.7 | 1.1× | $39k |
| Oregon | 172,030 | 87.5 | 1.0× | $46k |
| Oklahoma | 155,910 | 91.3 | 1.0× | $38k |
| Nevada | 149,130 | 96.1 | 1.1× | $42k |
| Iowa | 146,660 | 94.1 | 1.1× | $46k |
| Utah | 135,060 | 77.8 | 0.9× | $46k |
| Kansas | 134,910 | 93.8 | 1.1× | $44k |
| Arkansas | 134,380 | 103.1 | 1.2× | $39k |
| Connecticut | 129,170 | 76.2 | 0.9× | $44k |
| Mississippi | 122,680 | 105.5 | 1.2× | $38k |
| Nebraska | 91,480 | 89.3 | 1.0× | $45k |
| Idaho | 73,070 | 85.2 | 1.0× | $44k |
| New Mexico | 64,730 | 74.3 | 0.8× | $41k |
| West Virginia | 59,900 | 85.4 | 1.0× | $37k |
| New Hampshire | 51,160 | 74.9 | 0.8× | $44k |
| Hawaii | 50,310 | 80.2 | 0.9× | $48k |
| Maine | 49,030 | 76.5 | 0.9× | $45k |
| North Dakota | 42,960 | 100.0 | 1.1× | $49k |
| Delaware | 42,670 | 88.0 | 1.0× | $46k |
| South Dakota | 39,670 | 86.7 | 1.0× | $40k |
| Montana | 39,220 | 76.7 | 0.9× | $46k |
| Rhode Island | 31,470 | 62.8 | 0.7× | $45k |
| Alaska | 30,520 | 93.7 | 1.1× | $50k |
| Wyoming | 25,590 | 91.2 | 1.0× | $47k |
| Vermont | 20,860 | 68.6 | 0.8× | $45k |
| Washington DC | 18,490 | 26.3 | 0.3× | $49k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ699,160 jobs · $47k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA486,360 jobs · $45k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN484,580 jobs · $46k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX423,430 jobs · $45k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX314,010 jobs · $44k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA313,910 jobs · $44k median
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA272,380 jobs · $45k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD247,580 jobs · $45k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Drone Delivery Operators interactively →Pay and outlook for this occupation are Career Atlas estimates: BLS does not publish it on its own. Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.