Career Overlap Occupation record
RecordJob

Where a drone pilot can go next

5 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a drone pilot already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.

Drone pilots remotely operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They navigate the drone as well as activate other equipment as cameras, sensors as LIDARS to calculate distances, or any other instrumentation.

Also known as civil drone operator, unmanned aircraft pilot, remote piloted aircraft (RPA) pilot, unmanned aircraft systems operator, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) pilot, drone operator.

Technicians and associate professionals 64 skills on file 5 career moves 0 above 60% overlap Closest: helicopter pilot, 42%

Fig. 2 · Career map 5 nearest · ESCO v1.2.1
helicopter pilot 42% covered private pilot 36% covered air force pilot 36% covered co-pilot 35% covered airline transport pilot 35% covered drone pilot You are here
  • 70% and above · short step
  • 50 to 70% · real move
  • Below 50% · substantial retraining
The 5 nearest destinations from drone pilot, each one a link to that move’s record. Distance from the centre is how much retraining the move takes; the figure on each is how much of that role a drone pilot already covers. All 5 are listed in the tables below.
Table 1

Table 1 · A bigger jump

Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.

Table 2

Table 2 · What the job itself asks for

A drone pilot needs 31 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.

Required skill Area
  • undertake procedures to meet UAV flight requirements assisting and caring
  • aviation standards and recommended practices services
  • test instrumentation equipment constructing
  • operate control systems working with computers
  • unmanned air systems engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • use wrenches handling and moving
  • perform take off and landing working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • perform flight manoeuvres working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • civil aviation regulations services
  • digital camera sensors arts and humanities
Index

Look up another occupation

Drone pilot is filed under Technicians and associate professionals, ISCO major group 3. The full index lists all ten groups.

Note

How these figures were compiled

Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a drone pilot’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.