For the last two years, Voxus PR has partnered with New Tech Northwest, a great organization in the Seattle area that supports the growth of the technology industry through networking opportunities, education, job fairs and more. Each week, New Tech Northwest issues a helpful digital newsletter…and on a regular basis, Voxus contributes content.
In working on a piece focused on Seattle’s hottest tech job titles, it was surprising to learn that one of the rising career categories is “drone operator.” It’s no surprise that Amazon is driving the creation of this job niche with its planned delivery-by-drone offering, but it was a bit of a shock to realize just how many opportunities are available.
Airborne drones are being used to survey construction sites, oversee cable installations, conduct security sweeps, photograph nature and cityscapes, monitor agricultural crops and even assist with border control. Sometimes the career opportunities are with private employers or the government, but there is also a growing cadre of contractors that monitor job requests through sites such as Precision Hawk and its Droners.io site.There is also a complementary services niche on the rise, with companies offering drone operator certifications and flight training.
Just a few years ago, we laughed when TacoCopter debuted in San Francisco, delivering tacos by drone to hungry workers. In retrospect, the company was just a bit ahead of its time and was ushering in a new way for retailers and service providers to meet the needs of our growing on-demand economy. Today, in addition to Amazon, UPS and Google are experimenting with drone delivery. And there’s an environmental upside: Forbes reports that researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Carnegie Mellon University have found drone usage can help reverse climate change. Small quad- or octo-copters can replace diesel-burning delivery trucks and lower emissions.
So if you’ve dreamed of being a pilot, you no longer have to leave the ground to have an aviation career. Is drone operator a title that’s in your future?