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Transport workers not classified elsewhere

How to become a Drone Pilot

Flies drones to take aerial photos and video, survey land, inspect structures, observe, search and spray crops.

How to become one

No particular education is required, but drones are used to carry out specific jobs such as aerial filming, surveying and crop spraying. Aerial filming needs photography and video production skills, surveying needs surveying knowledge and skills, and crop spraying needs knowledge of handling agricultural chemicals. Before you can fly a drone for work you need the knowledge and skills of the job itself, which usually means study at university or a senmon gakko (vocational college). On top of this, you must put safety first and follow the relevant laws, rules and flying methods. You also need to judge whether it is safe to fly in the conditions and be able to deal with emergencies. Sudden strong winds or GPS failures can happen, so you need practice in advance to be ready for them, and you learn these things at a drone school (such as a registered training organisation designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism). Today many people take a course at a drone school, including practical training, and gain the national Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Certificate at second class or first class. Including the drone school course, the second class takes about 4 days and costs around 400,000 yen, and the first class takes about 6 days and costs around 600,000 yen. In the practical training you learn to fly using the school's own drones, and if you have completed a drone school course you are exempt from the practical part of the national skills test. You can sit the test directly without going to a drone school, but in practice it is very hard. If you hold the second class certificate and meet other conditions, such as using a certified drone, you can skip applying to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for every flight, so most people who use drones for work hold it. With the first class certificate, and other conditions met, you can fly over crowded areas and large events and fly beyond visual line of sight over populated areas (level 4 flight), which widens the range of drone work you can do. Both certificates are valid for 3 years and must be renewed. You can fly a drone without a certificate, but you need to know the detailed laws and rules well to avoid breaking the law or causing trouble, you must apply for and get approval from the Ministry for each flight, and you need a certain level of flying skill. For this reason many people who use drones for work study at a drone school and gain the first or second class pilot certificate.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Drone Pilot?

No particular education is required, but drones are used to carry out specific jobs such as aerial filming, surveying and crop spraying. Aerial filming needs photography and video production skills, surveying needs surveying knowledge and skills, and crop spraying needs knowledge of handling agricultural chemicals. Before you can fly a drone for work you need the knowledge and skills of the job itself, which usually means study at university or a senmon gakko (vocational college). On top of this, you must put safety first and follow the relevant laws, rules and flying methods. You also need to judge whether it is safe to fly in the conditions and be able to deal with emergencies. Sudden strong winds or GPS failures can happen, so you need practice in advance to be ready for them, and you learn these things at a drone school (such as a registered training organisation designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism). Today many people take a course at a drone school, including practical training, and gain the national Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Certificate at second class or first class. Including the drone school course, the second class takes about 4 days and costs around 400,000 yen, and the first class takes about 6 days and costs around 600,000 yen. In the practical training you learn to fly using the school's own drones, and if you have completed a drone school course you are exempt from the practical part of the national skills test. You can sit the test directly without going to a drone school, but in practice it is very hard. If you hold the second class certificate and meet other conditions, such as using a certified drone, you can skip applying to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for every flight, so most people who use drones for work hold it. With the first class certificate, and other conditions met, you can fly over crowded areas and large events and fly beyond visual line of sight over populated areas (level 4 flight), which widens the range of drone work you can do. Both certificates are valid for 3 years and must be renewed. You can fly a drone without a certificate, but you need to know the detailed laws and rules well to avoid breaking the law or causing trouble, you must apply for and get approval from the Ministry for each flight, and you need a certain level of flying skill. For this reason many people who use drones for work study at a drone school and gain the first or second class pilot certificate.

How much does a Drone Pilot earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,701,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Transport workers not classified elsewhere, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Drone Pilot?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 10% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Drone Pilot?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026