Earnings
Many drone engineers have educational backgrounds in electrical, electronics, mechanical, software, hardware, and industrial engineering. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that engineers earned the following salaries by specialty in May 2023.
- electrical engineers: $69,320 to $172,050+
- electronics engineers: $76,700 to $179,690+
- hardware engineers: $81,630 to $212,770+
- industrial engineers: $65,320 to $142,220+
- mechanical engineers: $64,560 to $157,470+
Software developers (including software engineers) who were employed in aerospace product and parts manufacturing earned mean annual salaries of $140,980 in May 2023. Salaries for all software developers ranged from $77,020 to $208,620 or more.
Full-time engineers receive benefits such as health insurance, sick leave, paid holidays, retirement plans, and savings plans. Those who operate their own consulting firms must provide their own benefits.
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