okay so a media production company in my city reached out to me through instagram of all places, said they saw my reel and want to bring me on as a full time staff pilot. which honestly sounds kind of dream scenario right. but then they sent over the offer and its like $38k a year and i just... that seems low? they said theres potential for overtime when they're on location shoots and stuff but still.

i've been freelancing for about 18 months doing mostly commercial real estate and some event work and i'm clearing probably $55-60k this year working maybe 3 days a week on average. i know staff positions have benefits and stability which freelance doesnt really have, and i genuinely do get tired of chasing invoices and finding new clients. but the pay cut is significant.

is $38k just what staff drone positions pay or did i get a lowball offer. hard to find good salary data for this kind of role honestly, glassdoor is basically useless for niche stuff like this

that does sound low for a staff position but it also kind of depends on the company size and where you're located. i know some broadcast companies where the staff camera ops and aerial guys make decent base salaries but the base itself isn't great, it's the overtime and travel per diems that bulk it up. if this company does a lot of location work that "overtime potential" line might actually be meaningful, worth asking them what a typical week looks like in terms of hours and how often people are hitting OT.

that said if youre already at 55-60 freelancing and you're not miserable doing it i'd be pretty hesitant to take that cut just for stability. maybe counter and see what happens, worst they can say is no and then you've got more info about how serious they are

38k for a dedicated staff drone pilot role is honestly an insulting offer imo, especially if you have 18 months of real commercial experience. a lot of these smaller production companies see drone work as a cheap commodity and the salary kind of reflects that attitude. i'd counter at 55 minimum and see how they react. if they balk at that they probably don't actually value what you bring, just want someone reliable they can have on call without paying freelance rates every time.