Drone Pilot Jobs in Aberdeen
CAA-authorised in the north-east? Aberdeen pays industrial rates for inspection-grade work, and the pilots who handle site permits cleanly own the market.
What you can earn in Aberdeen
Aberdeen's market is industrial: onshore inspection and documentation for the energy sector and its supply chain, harbour work, and the property and construction base every city has. The centre carries no fixed CAA restriction zone, with Dyce's zones starting 3 to 4 km north-west, so the differentiators are industrial: method statements, insurance, site inductions, and permits. Pilots who deliver to inspection briefs get retained, not just rebooked.
Typical earnings
GBP 150 to 500 for an industrial or structure inspection and GBP 475 to 1,400 for a construction or survey visit. You keep 90%, before payment processing fees.
Charter fees that companies in Britain publish on their own websites, measured August 2026. The number of companies behind each figure is in the earnings question below.
We take a 10% platform commission. Standard payment processing fees (Stripe) apply and are charged separately from the commission.
Jobs you would take on in Aberdeen
Industrial and Energy-Sector Inspection
Visual inspection and documentation of onshore facilities, yards, and infrastructure for operators and their supply chain, delivered to inspection-grade briefs.
Harbour and Marine Photography
Vessel, quayside, and harbour-works content around one of Europe's busiest energy support ports, planned with the harbour authorities.
Property Marketing
Aerial content for the granite city's residential and commercial market, from Rubislaw to the beachfront.
Qualifications you need for Aberdeen drone work
The UK CAA framework applies: an Operator ID and Flyer ID, plus an Operational Authorisation for most commercial work near people or buildings, and industrial clients usually expect a GVC with substantial insurance and method statements. The CAA data holds no fixed zone over the centre; Dyce's FRZ and runway protection zones start about 3 to 4 km north-west, and the North Sea helicopter traffic they protect makes that boundary absolute. Site access and permit discipline win the retained work here.
Looking to hire a pilot in Aberdeen instead? See drone services in Aberdeen.
Before you fly, check conditions with the free planner: Live weather, daylight and airspace zones for Aberdeen.
How Terasor works
Create your free pilot profile
List your drone, certifications, and territory so clients can match you to the right work.
Browse and bid on charters
Clients post jobs; you submit a price and a proposed date, or upload footage directly on fixed-price charters.
Get paid, keep 90% before fees
Payment is held in escrow and released once the client reviews your footage.
Want the full picture? Learn how Terasor works for pilots.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I earn as a drone pilot in Aberdeen?
An industrial or structure inspection is GBP 150 to 500, measured in August 2026 from 16 companies in Britain publishing their own prices, and a construction or survey visit is GBP 475 to 1,400, from 7. Those are what the client pays. Quoted per project instead, because the operators doing it publish no rate: offshore and energy inspection retainers. Inspection retainers with operators and their contractors are the steadiest income here. You set your own price when you bid, the client pays into escrow, and you keep 90% of the charter price, before payment processing fees.
Do I need CAA authorisation to take jobs in Aberdeen?
You need an Operator ID and Flyer ID as a baseline, an Operational Authorisation for most commercial briefs, and industrial clients typically expect a GVC plus insurance and method statements to their standards. List your qualifications and sector experience on your profile so the right charters reach you.
What types of drone jobs are most common in Aberdeen?
Industrial and energy-sector inspection, harbour and marine photography, property marketing, construction progress documentation, and FPV cinematic work. Inspection is the market's centre of gravity and pays accordingly.
How does bidding work on Terasor?
On Quote-Based charters you pitch a GBP price and a date and the client chooses a bid. On Fixed-Price charters the fee is set and you upload footage to claim it. Payment is held in Stripe escrow until the client approves, then released to you minus Terasor's flat 10%.