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What your work is worth.

Rates from gear, certs, client type, and how hard the job is. Not a flat checklist.

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Under 48hr notice +25%

mi

First 30 mi included

Recommended Rate

$180–$345

per hour

Rate range (Agriculture Monitoring)
$65/hr $1,735/hr

Range based on 2026 industry benchmark data for Agriculture Monitoring

Annual earnings estimate
Part-time ~15 hrs/week
$157,500/yr
Full-time ~25 hrs/week
$262,500/yr
Established ~35 hrs/week
$367,500/yr

Revenue estimate only — subtract expenses to get take-home pay

Jobs to hit your target
I want to earn
$
/year

381

billable hours

48

full-day jobs

2.2

months at full-time

Based on your midpoint rate of $263/hr. Full-time = ~25 billable hrs/week.

Rate breakdown
1
Base rate Agriculture Monitoring
$150 – $300/hr
2
Location Suburban, United States
×1.1
3
Experience Intermediate (1-3 years)
×1
Business factors
4
Equipment & insurance costs Prosumer ($2K–$5K)
+$11/hr
5
Deliverables Raw footage
+0%
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Methodology

How the numbers are built.

Built from 2026 industry data — UAV Coach, The Drone U, SkyeBrowse, and operator surveys.

  1. 01 Service type & location Base rates run from about $100/hr (real estate) to $350/hr (infrastructure). Urban metros add 20–30%. Rural runs about 10% less. $100 – $350/hr × region × area
  2. 02 Experience & certifications Beginners sit ~30% below average. A licensed surveyor (PLS) sits ~25% above a basic Part 107. BVLOS unlocks higher infrastructure work. 0.7× beginner → 1.6× specialist + certs
  3. 03 Business factors Equipment tier, insurance, client type, and contract shape the real rate. Consumer gear is not enterprise. A marketplace gig is not a retainer. equipment + insurance + client + contract
  4. 04 Deliverables & complexity Post-processing adds 15–40%. Night ops add ~30%. BVLOS adds ~50%. Depreciation and insurance sit in as cost floors. deliverables + ops complexity + costs

For a deeper dive, see our complete drone service pricing guide.

FAQs

Before you quote.

Quick answers on what to charge.

  • About $150–$400/hr in 2026. Real estate sits lower ($150–$300/hr) — roughly $120 on platforms, $200–$300 direct. Commercial and advertising: $250–$400/hr. Build in editing, travel, and gear cost.

  • Service, location, and experience — then gear tier, certs, insurance, client type, contract type, and how hard the ops are. A Mini is not a Matrice. A marketplace gig is not a retainer.

  • Depreciation is a floor, not a markup. Consumer gear (~$500–$2K) adds roughly $5/hr. Enterprise with LiDAR ($15K–$50K+) can add ~$50/hr. That cost exists whether you charge for it or not.

  • No — but you are not selling the same product. A PLS who can sign legal surveys sits ~25% higher. Without that licence you sell mapping products: valuable, distinct from certified surveys.

  • Part 107 is the baseline. Premiums come from BVLOS (~+15%), licensed surveyor (~+25%), thermographer (~+10%), and HAZMAT or confined-space access (~+15%).

  • Per-project usually wins — it prices the deliverable, not just flight time. Use hourly as the floor for the math, then add gear, insurance, and complexity.

  • Residential is price-sensitive — expect ~15% less. Enterprise and industrial pay ~15–35% more for compliance, procurement, and risk. Marketplace gigs sit ~20% under direct bookings.

  • Roof inspections: about $800–$1,500/day. Infrastructure: $1,200–$2,500/day in 2026. Thermal and specialist certs add 30–50%. Enterprise airframes belong in the rate as real $/hr cost.

  • Typically $5–$20/acre in 2026, by experience, gear, and client. A spray drone covers roughly 20–40 acres per flight hour. Pick agriculture in the calculator and switch to Per Acre for your number.

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