(Yicai) Dec. 1 -- Drone operators, also known as drone pilots, have become an in-demand job in China, especially popular among people in their 30s, due to the rapid growth of the country's low-altitude economy and the emergence of more application scenarios.

Local governments and training institutions in central Hubei Province and other Chinese regions are launching drone pilot training programs one after another, Yicai recently found. People around 30 years old are the main group seeking training and obtaining licenses.

Drone pilot jobs have low educational requirements, but there is a big salary gap, according to postings on recruitment websites. For example, the monthly salary ranges from CNY4,000 to 20,000 (USD550 to USD2,760) in Wuhan.

"Operating drones is a technical job, quite cool, and the average annual income exceeds CNY100,000 (USD14,135)," Tan Longfei, a drone operator from Zigui county in Hubei, told Yicai.

In 2020, Tan learned that Zigui was using drones to transport navel oranges, so he returned to his hometown to train and become a pilot. The county produces the local specialty fruit all year round, so demand for the position is strong, with more than 2,000 licensed professionals.

Being a drone pilot requires relatively strong reaction sensitivity and the ability to respond to emergencies, Huang Yueguang, chairman of training institution Chuyue Chuanglian Low-Altitude Technology, said to Yicai. In addition, pilots must have high visual-spatial processing due to the lack of reference objects at high altitudes, so young people have an advantage, Huang noted.

The salary competitiveness of licensed drone pilots is higher than that of traditional industries, Huang pointed out, adding that licensed pilots with certain work experience can earn CNY8,000 to 14,000 (USD1,105 to USD1,935) a month. "We have set up night schools for drone operator training, attracting many young people with other jobs in the evenings or weekends."

A qualified drone pilot must be able to fly but also understand industry uses, including agricultural plant protection, power inspection, aerial photography, and mapping, Huang noted, adding that those who are competent in high-skill operation scenarios receive higher salaries.

Although more than 200,000 drone licenses have been issued in China, many have only mastered basic operations and lack practical work experience in complex application scenarios such as power inspection and emergency rescue, Huang pointed out.

Vocational training institutions must not only provide license training services for students but also help licensed pilots with internships and accumulating flight hours, Huang said. They should also cooperate with leading firms to carry out precise flight skills training for specific positions, Huang stressed.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev