Free tool
What you actually keep.
After gear, insurance, and the rest. What you keep.
Configure your business to see profitability projections.
Methodology
How the numbers are built.
Built from 2026 industry data — UAV Coach, The Drone U, and operator surveys.
- 01 Revenue Hourly rate times billable hours. Rate adjusts for service, region, and experience. rate × hours × utilization
- 02 Operating costs Defaults from industry averages ($9K–$32K/yr). Depreciation, insurance, software, travel, marketing. $9K – $32K/yr typical
- 03 Break-even Billable hours until annual costs are covered. Most focused operators hit it in 2–4 months. costs ÷ hourly rate
- 04 Scenarios Three utilization levels — 60%, 80%, 100%. Conservative through optimistic. conservative · moderate · optimistic
For a deeper dive, see our complete guide to starting a drone business or the pricing calculator for per-job rates.
FAQs
Before you plan.
Quick answers on margins and take-home.
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It depends on niche, location, and hours. Full-time operators often keep $50K–$120K after expenses. 40–60% margins are reachable when rates and costs are honest. Part-time at ~500 billable hours: roughly $25K–$50K.
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Depreciation ($2K–$8K), travel ($3K–$8K), and insurance ($1.2K–$3K) lead the year. Software adds $1.2K–$4K. Total operating cost usually lands $9K–$32K by scale.
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First-year part-time: about 400–600. Full-time: 800–1,200. Established shops with repeats: 1,200–1,600. Billable excludes marketing, admin, travel, and wrench time.
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Aim for 25–40% net after operating costs. Above 40% shows up more in thermal and infrastructure work. Below 15% usually means underpricing or too much overhead.
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Cut fixed cost, raise the rate with higher-margin work, or fill the calendar with repeats. Most focused operators break even in 2–4 months.
The CRM for the hours you are not flying.
Start free. Add a client. Run one agent. See the margin on the first quote.