How To Make Money With A Drone in 2024 (10 Easy Ways)

So, you want to learn how to make money with a drone?

Today, drones have become popular and inexpensive, and anyone can afford a drone to do aerial photography and videography. People often use drones not just for one but also for jobs that pay well.

A drone photography or videography is a great way to make money with a drone. Aerial photographers and videographers are in high demand and are hired by event planners and various businesses and industries. We even saw drones are often used in agriculture, weddings, or delivery services. Anyone can sell their aerial images and videos to make money with a drone.

Plus, many surveys and inspections require the involvement of drones to handle difficult tasks that are not easy for humans. So, there are a lot of opportunities to make money with a drone.

To get started, making money with a drone, we’ve shared tips on how to make money with a drone, how to get started, the best drone to make money with, and more.

Understanding the Drone Market

In recent years, the drone market has experienced remarkable growth. Due to the integration of artificial intelligence in drone activities, advancements like better battery life, strong sensors, and improved safety features, drones are becoming a crucial part of our lives.

Market Size and Growth:

• It is estimated that the global Road Market will generate $4.3 billion in revenue in 2024.
• According to Statista, the drone market has the potential to grow annually by 2.26% (CAGR 2024-2028).
• By 2031, the global drone market is expected to hit USD 827.7 billion, with a CAGR of 20.02%.

So, there is no doubt that the drone market has great growth potential in the future. This unlocks new job opportunities for freshers and professionals.

Let’s discuss the various ways to make money from a drone.

Money-Making Opportunities with Drones

Here are some popular and best money-making opportunities with drones to consider, which we will discuss in detail later:

1. Aerial Photography and Videography
2. Drone Surveying and Mapping
3. Thermal Imaging
4. Drone-powered services (delivery services, search, and rescue, etc.)
5. 3D Modeling
6. LiDAR Mapping

How To Make Money With A Drone

Making money with a drone can be exciting and profitable in the US. Here are some best to earn money with drone jobs:

1. Photography and Videography

One of the best and easiest ways to make money with your drone is by taking photos and videos for various purposes. This is a great way to start your aerial photos and videos. You can be hired by many organizations and individuals who want Aerial Photography and Videography.

Plus, If you already have some high-quality images, you can sell your photos for printing purposes. E-commerce websites like Etsy allow you to create your online virtual shop where you can sell your photography.

Are you still asking “How to make money with my drone”? the answer is right there on the surface. This is a great way to start selling your aerial photographs. You can either capture your images and be as creative as you want or be commissioned for a specific contract. 

If you have special skills in specific markets where aerial photographs are in high demand. You can try these niches and provide your service as a drone photographer.

Wedding

This is one of the most demanding categories where you can start your career as a drone photographer. Every moment cannot be captured by a cameraman, but a drone photographer can do the most complicated tasks.

You can beautifully capture a wedding venue that showcases your skills. This is an increasing trend to hire a drone photographer/videographer for weddings. This is an increasing trend to hire a drone photographer/videographer for weddings. Start by creating a network with wedding photographers in your area.

Real Estate

You can also make money with a drone in real estate. As a good drone pilot, you can offer your photography services to real estate agents to help them show their properties, which they will sell. You can take photos from different angles and heights to show a different view of every photo.

To get started, you can contact real estate companies to let them know that you can provide aerial photographs of properties.

Sports

If you like sports then having a drone can be a great opportunity to make money. Almost every sport needs aerial photographs and videos to engage audiences. You can capture beautiful images and videos of different sporting events from the air.

You can get in touch with local sports clubs to grab a deal.

Hotels and Resorts

This is an exciting niche to consider. Various hotels and resorts hire drone photographers to capture engaging and cinematic photographs or videos for marketing or promotional purposes. You can be hired by event organizers for special events.

2. Sell Your Stock Photographs and Videos

Many photos you see on the internet and websites are stock photographs captured by photographers around the world. Selling your stock photos and videos is a great way to make money with a drone.

You can sign up for popular stock image websites like Stock and Shutterstock to sell your profile. When someone purchases your photo, you earn a commission.

When you are free, capture some photos, edit them, and sell them on stock photo websites. If you are good at capturing high-quality photos, Getty Images can be your perfect choice as it prioritizes quality over quantity and the royalties are higher than other websites.

Various companies also pay well for stock photography to be used in marketing, instructional, or other online or print materials.

Here are some popular platforms to sell your stock photos and videos:

• Microstock: Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, iStockPhoto (larger audience, lower payouts per sale)
• Macro Stock: Getty Images, Alamy (higher payouts per sale, stricter quality standards)
• Specialty Platforms: 500px (focuses on professional photographers), Pond5 (known for video content)
• Your Website: More control and potentially higher profit margins, but requires marketing effort

3. Structural or building inspection

Structural or building inspection services are in great demand, as homeowners and building owners often need to check maintenance issues for their roofs or in the buildings. Plus, drones offer an easy and more cost-effective way to inspect possible damages.

You can use various types of inspection services like construction sites, utility towers, and nuclear power plants for various industries and businesses.

Here are some profitable inspection services to consider:

• Roof Inspections: Check damage, wear and tear, and plan repairs for residential and commercial roofs.
• Exterior Wall Inspections: Detects cracks, loose areas, water damage, and other issues on building walls and roofs.
• Chimney Inspections: Inspect for cracks, blockages, and potential fire hazards, ensuring safety and proper functioning.
• Solar Panel Inspections: Identify performance issues, damage, and potential safety concerns on solar installations.
• Post-Construction Inspections: Verify quality, identify defects, and ensure compliance with building codes.
• Insurance Claims: Assist insurance companies with damage assessment and documentation after storms, fires, or other events.

You can contact local home inspectors for opportunities in your area, to get started

4. Delivery Services

Drone delivery services are a new market and are continuously growing. E-commerce companies such as Amazon started to use drones for their package delivery services. It sounds very weird but it’s a real thing and happening.

Rules and regulations are continuously changing in drone delivery services, but there may be some big opportunities and openings for drone Pilots for various types of delivery services.

Read More: Best Online Jobs for College Students 

5. Upload Videos on Youtube

If you are passionate about drone photography and videography, then creating a YouTube channel and uploading your engaging aerial photos and videos could be a great way to make money with a drone.

As you can subscribe and view, you can monetize your channel with the YouTube Partner program and start making money. You can also earn from sponsorships or paid business and collaborations with various Brands and businesses.

Many people around the world love to watch drone photography of nature, animals, or historical places. You can also upload videos about how to use drones on YouTube.

6. Mapping and Surveying

Drones have changed and revolutionized the mapping field due to their faster, safer, and more cost-effective as compared to other traditional methods. Various Industries hire drone photographers to take aerial photographs for different purposes.

This can be a very profitable business if you have some special skills. Below is a list of industries that regularly hire drone pilots for mapping purposes:

• Forest Industry
• Land Surveying and Construction
• Construction Industry
• Archeology Industry 
• Agriculture
• Mining Industry
• Topography 
• Landscaping

7. Agriculture

You can use your drone for agriculture purposes also. Farmers and workers Keep Their Eyes on their growing crops to keep them healthy. It takes a lot of time to analyze the crop. But with a drone, it becomes easy to capture aerial photographs or videos. Making it one of the easy ways to earn money with a drone.

You can use your drone for aerial photography, which will help farmers detect issues affecting their crops, spot weeds, etc. With some special drones, it can be determined how much sunlight crops are getting. These types of technical information allow farmers to make decisions about how to grow their crops.

For these purposes, you need to have some experience and know exactly what your customers expect from you before using your drone.

You can program your drone to spray various types of nutrients into the crops such as:

• Seeds
• Pesticide
• Fertilize
• Herbicide
• Fungicide

8. Filmmaking

Drones have been used in filmmaking for a long time as they have completely changed the filmmaking industry by recording videos from different camera angles and movements that were the same possible to achieve.

If you have a creative mind and a story to tell, you can make them real by recording action videos. However, it may not be a shortcut to becoming a millionaire, but if you create something unique you can earn a decent amount of money.

To get started, you can enter it in a drone festival and potentially win big prizes. Plus, you can offer services in filmmaking and work on movie sets, TV commercials, and music videos.

9. Surveillance/Security

Surveillance/Security Place is another great field to look to that can be quite profitable for a drone pilot. Roots play a very important role in the surveillance and checking of the applications as they offer unique advantages and Facilities over traditional methods.

Many businesses and industries hire drone photographers to keep an eye on properties or document events. These companies can be private or government offices.

Surveillance/Security may include:

• Perimeter Patrols
• High-Risk Situations
• Critical Infrastructure Protection
• Crowd Control

10. Teach Drone Flying Techniques

If you have mastered the skills of drone operating and reached the level of experience where you can have mastered your drone and aerial photography, you can teach your skills to photographers who are just getting into the business. This can be a great way to make money with a drone.

One such great example of Drone Flying tutorials and techniques is The Drone Creative“

How to Start a Drone Business and Earn Money

A good business can be a lucrative way to make extra money, especially if you have skills and you enjoy recording drone videos and photos. As the drone industry is booming opening for various opportunities for drone Pilots to make money.

Starting a drone business is as simple as you think. Here is a definitive guide to get started in your business and start earning money:

Which Drone to Buy for Your Business?

Selecting the right drone is important if you want to learn how to make money with a drone. Consider your spending limit, skill level, desired services, drone’s flight duration (the amount of time it can fly before needing to be recharged), and your budget before buying a drone.

Here are some best drones to buy:

• DJI Air 2S
• DJI Mini 3
• DJI Mavic 3 Pro

What Drone Certifications Do You Need?

Yes, if you are planning to start a drone business for commercial purposes you should have a remote pilot certificate from the Federal Aviation Station (FAA). To get the certificate you should have:

• Have a minimum of 16 years of age
• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English
• Passing an aviation knowledge test
• Have sufficient physical and mental health to pilot a drone.
• Online application for the FAA.

Plus, you have to take a test. This certification exam has a comparatively cheap cost—roughly $150. You have the option of taking it in person or online.

You’re specifically searching for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) training. After completing the course, you can legally fly drones.

What is the startup cost for a drone business?

The overall cost of starting a drone business depends on the type of equipment required. For a general understanding here are some broad pricing ranges for different items you may be required to start your drone business:

• Drone (New): $500 to $10,000
• Computer or laptop to edit your photos or videos: $500 to $2,000
• Remote Pilot Certificate: The FAA Part 107 exam for the license will set around $175.
• Drone insurance: $500 to $750 per year.
• Marketing (optional): $0 to $200 per month.

Conclusion

Being a professional drone pilot can be a lucrative career with fun and rewarding. There are many career opportunities to get started as a drone pilot.

If you’ve got the required skills and learned how to take good pictures or videos with your drone, you can start earning money. Remember, Success in the drone industry takes effort, passion, and a commitment to safety, professionalism, and continuous learning.

By following these techniques, you may effectively establish your drone business and reach and earn money.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):