Rates, 2026
What should a drone operator charge in New York or LA?
About $850 a day for a drone operator who is working and booked in New York or Los Angeles. $600 in the first years, $1,100 when senior. A drone shoot runs about $950. Also called: aerial, fpv.
Other markets: a major city · remote · a smaller market
First years
$600
a day · $75 an hour
Working, booked
$850
a day · $100 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,100
a day · $150 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$850 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$100 per hour
- A drone shoot$950 per project
Sold a project fee, by the day. The outcome is the unit; the day rate is for when a client wants your time instead.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for New York or Los Angeles: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Real estate aerials$250 to $600 per listing
- Event, construction or site$500 to $1,500 per shoot
- Licensed footage$100 to $400 per clip
- FPV flythrough$800 to $2,500 each
How the number is made
Drone operators at this level day at about $850 ($500 to $1,200 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A drone shoot runs $400 to $1,500 and takes about 5 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $500. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a drone operator in New York or LA?
- About $850 a day for someone working and booked, $600 in the first years, $1,100 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a drone shoot?
- $950 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
Pick your level and market, get a card you can send the next client who asks. Then RostrLab quotes, papers, invoices and chases every job with it: free for 14 days, $29 a month, never a cut.
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