Drone pilots are in high demand — but what is the job really like?

Drone pilots are in high demand — but what is the job really like?


They’re some of the world’s most in-demand tech jobs – but what does a day in the life of a drone pilot look like? CNBC looked at the most current and cutting-edge drone jobs in three different industries. From rescue missions, filming travel videos, to inspecting buildings for signs of corrosion, they’re all working with one technology: drones.

The commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAC) market is expected to be worth $54.6 billion dollars by 2030, according to drone market research firm Drone Industry Insights. 

The demand for drone pilots has been growing alongside the overall industry, with a 2018 PwC report saying 650,000 jobs could be associated with widespread drone adoption.

From construction and real estate to transportation and defense, UAV operators are in demand across several sectors. CNBC met with three of them:

  • Kevin Chang is a Senior Drone Pilot for Singapore Inspection and Engineering. He inspects buildings for signs of defects and corrosion. 
  • Tong Cheuk Fung specializes in flying FPVs, or first-person-view unmanned aerial vehicles. This involves flying the drone from a pilot’s perspective – and it’s much more hands on than conventional drone flying. 
  • Ng Aik Thong has piloted more than 20 rescue missions while serving as the Chief Technology Officer at NACT Engineering. He also specializes in creating drone accessories that modify a drone’s capability. 

Watch the video above for an insight into their day-to-day and learn how they made their career jump over to drones.



Source

Pentagon chief says ready to ‘fight and win’ against China, urges Asian allies to boost defense spending
World

Pentagon chief says ready to ‘fight and win’ against China, urges Asian allies to boost defense spending

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (C) gestures beside Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin (R) and other defence officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during a multilateral meeting ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on May 30, 2025. Mohd Rasfan | Afp | Getty Images SINGAPORE — Pentagon chief […]

Read More
China’s manufacturing activity contracts amid trade tensions
World

China’s manufacturing activity contracts amid trade tensions

A worker works in a workshop of a textile products manufacturing enterprise in Qingzhou Economic Development Zone in Qingzhou City, Shandong Province, China, on May 10, 2025. Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images China’s manufacturing activity contracted for a second month in May, an official survey showed on Saturday, raising expectations for more stimulus to […]

Read More
Trump will hold a rally at U.S. Steel as investors seek clarity on Nippon deal. Here’s what we know
World

Trump will hold a rally at U.S. Steel as investors seek clarity on Nippon deal. Here’s what we know

President Donald Trump will hold a rally Friday at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh, a week after signaling that he had cleared a controversial merger with Japan’s Nippon Steel. Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks at 5 p.m. ET at U.S. Steel’s Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, according to the White House. Investors […]

Read More